The Time Traveler's Guide to the Universe
by Kuroneko99
Summary: Hana Everdeen was minding her own business when she ends up in a shop that grants wishes. This it the catalyst that will change her life and send her traveling through dimensions, going to different worlds to save the universe. A spin off of Tsubasa
1. World 1: Tokyo, Japan

The Time Traveler's Guide to the Universe

**World 1: Tokyo, Japan, The Beginning of the end**

The sun had begun to set, casting long streaks of crimson and lavender across the sky, as Hana hung up her apron in her locker. She stared at its black lace ruffles outlined with white for a few minutes before she shut the cold metal door and checker her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Picking up her school bag, she left the maid café where she worked and set off down the slightly cracked sidewalk. The warm spring air crept up her legs and ruffled her skirt as it picked up, carrying the scents of the city along.

A ratty cardboard box squished in between a narrow weedy alleyway caught her attention. As she approached it, she saw a small white puppy sitting on several towels that padded the inside of the box. Its ears perked up as she stopped and crouched down in front of it. The dog gave her a friendly bark and wagged it's small tail, it's face lighting up endearingly. Hana managed a smile and stroked the dog's furry ears.

"Are you all alone too?" she asked it quietly and it replied with a bark. "I see; we are the same then." Hana pulled out her lunch bag and fished out the leftovers of the sandwich she had been saving for dinner. "Here, can't have you going hungry." She tore off a piece and offered it to the dog. The puppy lunged for it eagerly and polished it off in a few bites, begging for more. "I guess you can have the rest; I'm not really hungry anyway." Hana gave the rest to the dog and watched quietly as it ate. "I'd love to take you home but I don't know if my cat would like it…But I can't just leave you here, right? It wouldn't feel right; I wouldn't want to be left here all alone…"

Her eyes fell a bit and she grew silent, her heart suddenly feeling very heavy. The dog just licked her hand, unaware of the sudden change in mood. _I wish_, she thought, _that I could leave this place and go someplace far away. This place…holds to many painful memories. Perhaps things would have remained as they had been if we had stayed in America. Is we hadn't moved here to Tokyo then maybe they'd still be here…_Hana was too absorbed with her thoughts to hear a car pull up next to the sidewalk behind her. The car door opened then slammed shut and the dog growled angrily at something behind her. It was only then that she turned her head slightly to find a man dressed in a white suit standing over her. A black Mercedes Benz was running idly, its engine making a soft purring noise. It was obviously a car belonging to a rich person, probably the guy standing in front of her, she thought.

"Are you Hana Everdeen, the daughter of Rachel Everdeen, the eldest child of Marianne?" the man asked, removing his sunglasses and running his fingers through his platinum blonde hair.

_How does he know mother? Who is this guy? _"Why do you ask?" she questioned, growing alert. Hana picked up the growling dog and stood up, facing the man.

"Just answer the question: Are you Rachel Everdeen's daughter?" He said again, pulling out a manila envelope. He opened it and studied its' contents.

"And what if I am? Who are you and why do you need to know?" the man showed her the folder containing several files. Hana stiffened as she saw a photo of her paper-clipped to the papers.

"Your grandmother sends her condolences."

"It's a bit late for that; my mother has been dead for a year, along with the rest of my family. If she wanted to send her condolences then she should have done so at their funeral." Hana eyed the man with distrust.

"It was a tragedy, but it was not a priority." The man told her and Hana's jaw stiffened.

"Well I'm sorry that my grandmother feels that way. And what does my dear grandmother want with me? She disowned my mother and our family; she hasn't made contact with us since my mother married."

"Your grandmother wants to meet you and discus things. I am here to escort you to the airport. You will meet her in America where you will talk things over."

"And when does she expect me to leave?"

"By today. I will drop you off by your house to pick up a few things that you would like to bring, but you will not be needing much stuff."

"What about my house and school?"

"You will not be needing the house and as for school, you will be transferred to a school in America of her choosing."

"Who are you?" she demanded, thoroughly annoyed.

"I am your grandmother's ace butler Michel Williams."

"Alright, Michel," she said curtly, "I don't like you showing up here and suddenly telling me what to do."

"They are not my words. They are your grandmother's."

"Well I don't appreciate the woman who disowned our family telling me what to do."

"It's for your own good, she says."

"And what does she know what's for my own good? She doesn't even know about me."

"On the contrary, she knows everything about you and your family." Michel told her. "She always has."

"So she left us to fend for ourselves while watching us from the shadows?" Hana's anger was beginning to rise to dangerous levels.

"I cannot answer that." the butler's voice was monotone.

"Where was she when my family was killed? Did she know about that when it happened? It sounds like she did and yet she did nothing to help out her own family?" Hana snapped furiously.

"I cannot answer that."

"Can you answer anything?" Hana asked icily and he just stood like a tin soldier. "you know what, forget it. you can tell her that I will not becoming. That woman doesn't understand what it's like; I can't just get up and leave everything all for her sake. I have my own dreams to follow."

"There is a time when you must set dreams aside and take up what it needed of you."

"Oh? So that woman needs me? Why can't she ask her other sons and daughters and grandchildren?"

"You are the only surviving grandchild of her oldest child. Only you can inherit the family title."

"Sorry, but I have better things to be my grandmother's puppet." Hana told him and turned to leave.

"She thought you might say no so she told me to bring you by force if necessary." Michel reached out to grab her arm, but Hana saw him, ducked, and took off running. "Wait, Hana Everdeen!" he called as he pelted after her. She could hear his heavy footsteps thundering behind her,

"Not a chance!" she shouted as she took a hard left. Her heart was pounding as she ran, the puppy clutched close to her chest. The sidewalk ahead of her stretched on for what seemed like forever and was lined with tall office buildings. It was an unfamiliar street to her and at this rate she might end up lost if she wasn't caught first. Looking over her shoulder, she didn't see the man so she stopped to lean again a blank wooden fence. _I can't keep this up for much longer._ She thought, gasping for air. The dog in her arms licked her chin and whimpered. _Maybe if I can find a police station, I can tell them that I'm being chased by a stalker. Then I might be safe. _

Behind her, Michel's voice was growing steadily louder. Lafayel looked around for a place to hide but found none. _This is bad. At this rate, I'll be caught. _She spotted a walkway along the fence and peered in. sitting there in what she had thought was an empty lot between the office buildings, strangely out of place, was a quaint little house with a green roof and gold half-moons on the roof and doorway. Hana stared at it curiously, not knowing what to make of it. The lights in the house were on so she assumed someone was home. Trees dotted the front yard; two were plum trees in full bloom.

"Has there always been a house here? I thought it was only an empty building lot…Odd place for a house to be…" She glanced up at the towering office buildings with their glittering lights. The house had a double door with multiple windows on it and seemed to be inviting her in. "maybe I can hide here until that creepy butler goes away. I don't want to intrude on whoever lives here…Perhaps I can just hide in their yard." Suddenly, Michel appeared around the corner and, panicking, Hana rushed for the house. Without thinking, Hana reached for the door, but it opened on its own and she fell in.

"Oh great, now what've I done? I've entered someone's house without asking. I hope I don't get arrested." She thought as the door shut behind her. Standing up, Hana glanced around at the room she was in, the entryway she guessed. It was decorated in a traditional Japanese style. There were large butterflies painted on the soft yellow walls.

"A customer?" a small voice said, making her jump. "at this hour?" Hana looked down and saw two girls standing before her.

"A customer for the mistress." The other one said.

_Wh-When did they get there? Customer? _Hana thought and the puppy barked at them. The girl on the left was dressed in a maroon tailcoat with tiny devil wings in the back and matching shorts. Her hair, which was tied up in two ponytails on the side of her head, was a baby blue color and curled almost all the way to the floor. Her eyes were blue and stared up at her curiously. The other on the right was wearing a white dress with tiny angel wings on the back by her waist and had a red ribbon tied around her middle. Her hair was short and pink with two small buns on the top. Her eyes were pink with an equally inquisitive look.

"A customer for the mistress!" they both said cheerfully.

"Who? Me? Oh no, I just happened to pass by and I came here to hide because I was being chased. I'm sorry for intruding and I think I'll go now. This is all a misunderstanding, purely coincidental." She apologized.

"There is no such thing as coincidence." An unseen voice said from deep inside the house. "Your coming here was something that was meant to happen; it was inevitable."

"Inevitable?" Hana repeated.

"Maru, Moru, bring the guest here."

"Bring the guest, bring the guest!" They sang and dragged her along. The puppy jumped out of her arms and scampered around eagerly.

"Wait a minute!" she protested as she was pulled further into the house, her shoes slipping off at the entrance. "What is this place?" The girls led her to the back where a table and chairs sat. The shoji doors were opened to reveal the now darkened garden.

"Sit, sit!" the girls urged her and she sat down warily, unsure what to make of her situation. Hana sat, looking around the room.

"Uh…excuse me…I'm sorry for the intrusion, but what is this place? I'm really sorry for bursting in like this…" Hana said to the empty room.

"This place is a shop." The red doors on the other side of the room slid open and a tall slender woman dressed in a red kimono stepped out.

"A shop? That sells what?" Hana asked as the woman walked over and sat across from her. Hana met her maroon eyes and watched her carefully as he long black hair settled along her back.

"Wishes. This shop sells wishes. I can grant any wish, for the right price that is." The woman smiled as Hana's eyes got wide.


	2. World 1: The Witch's Shop

**World 1: Tokyo, Japan, The Girl becomes a Traveler**

"Wishes…?" Hana repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean wishes. Any desire, anything you want, I can grant it. That is, if you're willing to pay the price." The woman said as she rested her elbow on the table.

"Any…desire…?" The woman's words were inviting, tempting.

"Yes. So how about it? Is there something you are wishing for?"

The faces of her family suddenly appeared, smiling at her in her mind's eye. She longed to hear their voices, feel the warmth that they had shared so long ago. The memories tugged at her heart, how much she missed them. But she stopped herself and the images vanished like smoke. _No, that's impossible; once something's lost it can never return. I can wish for them to come back all I want, but that's not gonna happen. Granting wishes…? Any desire…? _"I'm afraid that there's a misunderstanding; I really don't have any wish I want granted. I came here purely by accident. I was merely hiding from someone who was following me. I apologize, but I really must be going."

"Of course you have a wish; everyone has a wish. You wouldn't have been able to come here if you didn't have a wish you wanted granted. Isn't there something you want to do but know you can't do it on your own? I can help." Again the words were tempting, calling her to give it. "Watanuki, will you get us something to eat and drink? Our guest hasn't eaten dinner yet so make us something really good."

"Make you something? This late? And I just cleaned up the kitchen! You know some of us have to get up early tomorrow!" a tall lankly boy cried as he entered the room. There was a white bandana tied around his short black hair. He glared at the woman behind his glasses with his pale blue eyes. "And what do you want me to make you? I hope it's not something complicated."

"Mokana wants saké!" a black ball with long ears appeared on the table next to the woman. It looked like a fat rabbit with a squished in face. There was a round blue jewel on its' forehead and a blue earing on its' left ear. The dog stood on its' hindquarters, staring curiously up at the table and gave a bark. The thing was not bigger than a large grapefruit.

"No! No! No! I will not give you saké! You've had enough today!" the boy shouted at the furry thing.

"Saké sounds good. Go fetch us some, Watanuki!" the woman said with a smile and waved him off.

"Not you too, Yuko!" the boy, Watanuki, protested loudly. His voice was rather annoying, but Hana was too focused on the black thing to care.

"What is…that thing? It talks." She asked pointing a finger at it.

"Not a thing! Mokana's a Mokana." The thing told her adamantly.

"Wait, you can tell that he's not just a toy?" Watanuki asked, pointing to Mokana.

"Toy's don't talk of move." Hana pointed out, still staring at Mokana. "So what is he?"

"Mokana's a Mokana, just like he said." The woman patted Mokana's head.

"I see…"Hana let it drop.

"So tell me about your wish…"

"I can't really think of anything I want that you can give me."

"You said that you came here to hide. From whom? It sounds like you were being chased. Care to explain?"

"May I ask your name first before I tell you my story? It's only fair to know the name of the person who is offering to grant wishes."

"Smart girl; I like that." she smiled. "I'm Yuko, Yuko Ichihara. And you are?"

"Hana Everdeen."

"But is that your real name?" Yuko questioned.

"It's not my full name, but it Yuko Ichihara _your_ real name? It feels like an alias to me."

"That it is." Yuko smile broadened.

"Alright, my real name is Hana Rose Yashiro. Everdeen was my mother's maiden name; Yashiro was my father's." she explained as Watanuki came back out with a cup of tea. She watched as the soft tendrils rose up from the green liquid.

"It's green tea. I hope you don't mind." He told her.

"It's fine."

"The food will be out in a little bit." Watanuki headed back for the kitchen in the back of the shop.

"Alright, thanks." Hana said and picked up the dog and set him on her lap.

"So, Hana Everdeen, why were you being chased?" Yuko asked and rested her head in her hands.

"My grandmother wants me to move to America so that she can tell me what my future will be. She sent a butler to get me and told me that I had no choice."

"And why is that a bad thing? America is the land of opportunities. You might have a bright future there so why not go?"

"Why should I listen to the woman who disowned my family and watched us from the shadows? My grandmother has never once made contact with my family since my mother married my father. I will not just drop everything and leave for her."

"And why would she do that?" Yuko pressed. "Why would that cause you to hide?"

"She disowned my mother when she married my father who was a Japanese man who was an unknown musician, the son of a music store owner. My mother was from a wealth family that has royal blood stemming back centuries. My mother was arranged to marry the son of a wealthy company head, but she fell in love and choose my father. My grandmother opposed their marriage and said that if she married that man she'd disown her. Despite that my mother married my father."

"Such a devoted love. Even though she knew the consequences, she chose happiness over wealth. And a take it now, your family has passed, am I wrong?" Yuko took a sip of tea.

"…Yes…" Hana clenched her fists under the table as the bitter memory. "My mother, father, and brothers were killed. It was the day before my birthday. I came home and…they were dead…" She eyes were staring deep into her tea. "That thing…wasn't human…"

"By that thing I take it you mean your family's killer?" Her eyes were solemn. "Explain why it wasn't human?"

"It wasn't not matter how you looked at it; its' form and its' behavior were something not human. That thing's eyes were red and…it looked like a shadow in human form." She managed to say, her body was shaking slightly.

"I see…it was something like that…Now tell me, why did you run to this place?"

"I ran…because I didn't want to go with that woman…I want to follow my own path, not something someone else laid out for me." She told Yuko and lifted her gaze.

"So what you desire is freedom, I presume?" just then, Watanuki came in with a tray of food.

"The food's done." He said as he set down a plate of food in front of her. "It's steamed fish with miso soup. I hope it's ok."

"It's fine. Thanks, Watanuki. I'm sure it'll be delicious." Hana's mood changed as she flashed him a smile. She grabbed a fork and took a bite of the fish. Her face lit up as she savored the flavors. "Wow, this is really good!" She exclaimed happily. Since she had been living on her own, she had rarely any time to improve her cooking skills so she just ate convenience store food.

"Really? Thanks, I'm glad you think so." He smiled back.

"Yes, yes, that's all very nice. Once again, Watanuki, you've out done yourself. Now, I believe I'm in the middle of talking with a customer." Yuko told him flatly as she dug into her food.

"Fine! Well you don't have to be so rude!" he snapped and stalked off. "I'm going, I'm going!"

"Now then, where were we?" Yuko continued. "Ah yes, your wish. Tell me about it."

"My wish…is to leave this place." Hana said finally.

"Leave this place? How so?"

"I want to leave Japan, to go someplace else."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because this place holds too many painful memories. I want…to leave for a little bit…to travel to other places. You may think that I might be running away, but this is something I want to do."

"To travel can be a lonely business. A traveler is usually alone, facing dangers and perils by themselves. They will always be outsiders no matter where they go." Yuko explained and pulled out a long pipe with a decorative silver end. "Would you be prepared for something like that?" She exhaled a thick cloud of smoke off to the side. The smoke smelled sweet and it didn't at all bother Hana like cigarette smoke did.

"It may be a lonely business, but it also has its' sparkling moments. To see so many places and meet so many people, that would far outweigh all the bad moments. The fact that it's tough is was makes it all the more rewarding…" A small smile passed over her face. "A traveler's life allows them to collect stories for all over, cataloging all the memories of others. That is the life I want."

"To travel, that is your wish. But I thought you said that you couldn't just drop everything and leave?" The dog licked up the scraps off Hana's plate, his tail wagging back and forth vigorously.

"I don't have much left here for me now. I will do things for my own dreams, not someone else's, especially not for my grandmother." She took a sip of tea, her eyes hardening a bit.

"But isn't she the only family you have left?"

"She didn't recognize us a family for twenty years and she suddenly now wants to pluck me out of here and tell me what to do. I can't recognize someone like that. I harbor no ill will against her, but I don't want her meddling in my life that she refused to be a part of."

"Is that your wish? To travel?" Yuko asked again.

"Yes."

"And are you prepared to pay the price?"

"Any price, I'll pay it." Hana's eyes locked onto Yuko's, determination swirling around in their blue depths.

"Alright then. I'll grant your wish. On one condition though." Yuko raised a finger.

"And what would that be?" Hana inquired, trying to think of what the condition would be.

"I want you to do a job for me. If you do it, it will be your compensation." She took a deep breath on her pipe and exhaled again. Hana gazed at her, thinking carefully about what she said as the smoke curled up around her, creating a hazy cloud.

"It will count as my compensation?"

"Everything has a price; you can't get something from nothing. This is equivalent exchange. The price can't be too little or too great. If the balance is thrown off, the world will fall into chaos." Yuko explained and nibbled on the food.

"I guess that makes sense. So what is it you want me to do for you?"

"Yuko? You're not entangling another innocent person in your web are you?" Watanuki cried in horror. Yuko glared at him, grabbed Mokana and hurled him at his face.

"Quiet you!" she hissed and recomposed herself. "Honestly, it's hard to find good help these days. Anyway, the job I have for you is simple: I need you to do a cleanup job for me."

"A cleanup job?" Hana raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You see there are holes in the universe created due to an unbalance created by a strong disturbance. I have sent other on a head to deal with the disturbance and all that remains now are the hole's created in other worlds."

"Other worlds? You mean there's more than this place?"

"The universe is a vast place, containing many worlds in many different dimensions."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do this 'cleanup'?"

"When you travel to different worlds, you will need to find something of create power that is creating anomalies in that world. Those are the 'holes'. If left unchecked, they'll rip open and swallow the worlds, one by one until the whole universe is torn apart. It's a very important and dangerous job."

"And you want me to do it? I'm not even sure if I believe all this yet. It doesn't make sense to me." Hana told her.

"I didn't expect it to. Here, take this and read it. I'll give you until Friday to decide." Yuko pulled out a thick book and set it down in front of her. "Think it over and come back to this shop on Friday with your answer. You don't necessarily have to believe what I say, but it is the reality, whether you believe it or not."

Hana stared at the title of the book. It read _The Traveler's Guide to the Universe _in big bold blue lettering. It was unlike any book she'd seen before; it seemed to have a magical aura surrounding it. _What's with this title? Don't tell me that there's actually a book for that sort of thing? _She thought at she picked up the book. It was quite heavy in her hands. _This day is turning out to be not what I expected. This is too weird. _"Honestly, I don't know what to believe anymore. I mean, you have Mokana over there, he's not an animal right? He's something else…I guess I've always believed that there was more to this world than meets the eye."

"A well put answer." She mused. "Be sure to read the first chapter of the book. It explains what you'll need to do." Hana nodded quietly and put the book in her bag. "Well, I guess I'll be sending you home now. Just be sure that you don't lose that book or run into any trouble on your way home." Yuko watched at Hana stood up, scooping up the puppy in her arms.

"I'll try not to. Thanks again for letting me stay her awhile and giving me a meal." She said with a slight bow.

"It was no trouble at all. Remember, our meeting was inevitable…"


	3. World 1: Decisions

**World 1: Home, The Traveler's Decision **

"_Any desire, anything you want, I can grant it. That is, if you're willing to pay the price." _

Hana could hear Yuko's words replaying over and over in her mind, constantly repeating like a broken record. She sat at the empty kitchen table, staring at the completed homework before her with little interest. She had thought a lot about the peculiar shop while she had been in the shower, but still it made little sense to her.

In the living room, the black cat, Yoru, sniffed the playful white puppy curiously. Satisfied that it was of no threat, the cat licked its nose and moved on. The dog gave a happy bark and followed after the cat. The door to the bathroom downstairs had been left open with a box of newspapers for the dog to do its business in.

"This doesn't make sense…Everything feels like a dream." She muttered as she flipped through the book. A towel rested on her wet hair, the long red strands hung flat against her back. In the back of the book, there were pages and pages of blank spaces, as if the book wasn't finished. "What's this…? Blank pages…? What kind of book is this; it's not even finished." She shut the book and rested her head on it with a sigh. "What am I going to do…? I want to leave…But am I willing to follow this unknown woman's words? Different worlds; am I willing to accept that?" Hana scooped up the book and made her way upstairs. Behind her, the cat followed at her heels with the unnamed puppy scampering three steps behind.

Hana threw the book on her unmade bed, surveying her slightly unkempt room. Could she really just leave it all? Why couldn't she? There wasn't much holding her back. No family. No responsibilities. No friends. So why did she stay? She asked herself over and over again, but kept drawing blanks. Picking up her clothes off the floor, she watched the animals wander around her room. If she did end up leaving, would she take them with her or find someone to watch them.

"I haven't even named you yet, have I?" she said to the dog. "Let's see…a name…' Hana gazed at the dog for a long time, the gears of her brain slowly turning. "How 'bout Tristan?" The dog perked its ears up at her before going back to playing. "Tristan it is then…" Hana made her way to the sliding door that led out onto the balcony that overlooked the street. Warm air greeted her as she stepped out, her bare feet touching the deck softly.

Hana inhaled the breeze as it blew past her, closing her eyes in thought. When she opened them again, she was staring up at the band of stars stretched across the canvas of space. The warm light from her room flooded out, bathing her in soft yellow glow and casting long shadows. _What a nice night…Too bad the day was ruined by my grandmother and her good-for-nothing lackey. _

"Hey, Hana, you sure are up late." A familiar voice to her left made her head turn. Standing out on the deck of the house next door, was Zack Klein. He gave her a crooked smile as he flipped his wild black hair off his face. It was usually wild and untamable, always looking like he had just rolled out of bed.

"Doesn't the same go for you, Zack?" she shot back in English and he cocked his head to the side.

"I guess I am. I was waiting for you to get home." He replied, his topaz eyes flashing in the balcony light. His charmingly good looks and charismatic personality had placed him in the top rankings in the school's popular kids group. Hana was towards the middle with the large population of normal, under the radar people. While he had lists full of friends, she had only a handful. Yet despite this, they had somehow managed to become friends, whether Hana was willing to admit it or not. He was the closest thing she had to a true friend.

"Won't your sister get mad at you?" Zack lived with his older sister, April, in the house. Their parents were always away due to their involvement with the Marines. The only time that she had really seen them was at Christmas a few years and when they were stationed back home. Like Hana's family, the Klein's had moved from America to Japan. Their first language was English and since they were the only two kids at their school from America, it was nice to speak their native language every so often.

"No, she's working overtime tonight at the college." Zack said and leaned back against the railing a bit. He let his words drawl out in that Southern accent that was thick on his voice. While he was from Tennessee, she was from California. Both places attracted them a lot of attention at school.

"I see, well aren't you being the responsible one and going to bed on time." Hana sighed as Tristan raced out onto the deck at the sound of a new voice.

"Like you're one to talk."

"Shut up…" she muttered and he laughed. Tristan barked for attention and Zack's eyes shifted over to her.

"What was that? A dog?" He tried to look over to her side of the balcony to find the source of the noise.

"Yup, it's a dog." Hana told him and picked Tristan up for Zack to see. "His name's Tristan,"

"Aw, when'd you get him?" Zack leaned over as far as he could so that he could pet the dog. Tristan wagged his tail and licked the new hand. Hana knew that Zack had a soft spot for dogs.

"Today; I found him on the side of the road in a box." Hana stroked the dog's back rhythmically. Tristan was ecstatic to be getting to much attention as his tail was wagging a mile a minute.

"Poor little guy." Zack soothed in a silky tone and Tristan eyed him endearingly. "So are you gonna keep him?"

"Yeah, it's too late to leave him along now."

"And he gets along with your cat?" She nodded. "Well that's good; you're cat doesn't seem to like me very much."

"Maybe he doesn't like your hair very much. It always looks like something attached itself to your head." Hana offered.

"Now that's cruel, Hana. My hair's not that bad." He muttered gingerly and combed his hair with his fingers, trying to tame it with little success.

"I guess you just don't have a way with cats." Hana stared at him as he focused on his hair. She suddenly wanted to tell him about her grandmother, the butler, the wish shop, and the decision she was going to make. Zack had been the only one to really stick by her after her family had been killed. He had been at the funeral and had stuck by her side when most had just deemed her "mentally depressed". But something held her back and she couldn't go through with it. _He'll be lonely is I leave…but perhaps it'll be better if I do. I don't want to drag him down with my problems._

"Hey, are you ok?" his voice broke through her thoughts. She had been staring intently at his face in thought without realizing it. "You've been staring at me for an awfully long time. You haven't fallen for me, have you?" A devilish grin spread across his face.

"You wish." She said flatly and his face fell a bit. "No I have not, I was just thinking."

"About…?"

"Stuff."

"Ok, but seriously, have you been ok? It's almost the anniversary." Zack's tone softened and his face turned to concern. "Is there anything you need to talk about? I'm always available. I'm sure sis would love it if you had dinner with us again…"

"Thanks for the offer, Zack, but I'm fine." Hana said putting up a smile. She began to doubt whether she was ok or not. Some days it was hard to tell; she missed them terribly and that would never change.

"You sure?"

"Positive." They stood there in silence for several long minutes. "Well, I guess I should be getting to bed soon; can't be falling asleep in class. I don't want to end up like you with marks on my forehead from having chalk thrown at me."

"Hey! It's not my fault! That teacher has some serious issues!" Zack protested adamantly.

"Well if you didn't keep falling asleep in his class I'm sure the issues would be resolved. Goodnight." She told him and opened the sliding door.

"'Night, Hana." He watched her leave until he was left alone.

Hana lay on her bed in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. Tristan and Yoru were curled up at the foot of the bed, breathing softly. _What am I gonna do? Do I accept…or just forget about it? I just…don't want to keep living the way I am now…I need something interesting to happen. If my wish is granted, then this is my chance…_She closed her eyes. Then next time she opened them, it would be morning

The days leading up to Friday moved quickly, almost as if someone had pressed fast-forward. Often she found herself on the roof during lunch, flipping through the book Yuko had given to her. When Friday came around, she had made up her mind that afternoon. She sat in her room after school, stuffing clothes and other various things into a large duffle bag. Since she didn't know what she'd really need, she just packed everything she thought she'd need. On the very top was her beloved camera. She stared into its lens, trying to recall all the photos she had taken with it.

"I guess you and I will be going on a journey together, huh?" she said softly. Tristan bounded over to her, begging for affection. Around his furry neck was a red collar with his name etched on a bone shaped ID tag. Hana stroked his head until Yoru got jealous and pushed him aside roughly. "I wish I could take you two with me, but it wouldn't be safe and I don't want to lose either of you." _It might not be fair to just leave them in Zack's care. Especially Tristan, I just got him at the beginning of the week…and now…to suddenly leave…I know Zack will take good care of them. Am I making the wrong decision though? To just suddenly leave with just a letter? _On the nightstand was her letter to Zack explaining what she was doing and thanking him for all he'd done. Nestled in the envelope was the key to her house so that he could take care of Tristan and Yoru. She knew he wouldn't mind, he seemed rather found of Tristan and the dog adored him.

"I guess I'd better be going. I'll be seeing you later." She told the animals as she headed for the door, scooping up the book as it lay on the table. Tristan whined loudly behind her, almost as if he knew that she was leaving. "Now don't look at me like that, you'll make me feel even worse about leaving than I already do." Hana patted his head one last time. "Don't worry, Zack will take good care of you. I promise I'll be back soon." Without looking back again, she walked out of the house, shutting the door behind her, locking it. She pulled out her hat and placed it on her head and tied her black Converse tighter.

As she passed by Zack's house, she put the letter in the mail box, sticking out so that he would notice it. His sister was still in her classes and he had soccer practice so he wouldn't be home until later. Tristan and Yoru had enough food and water to last them a few days, but Tristan would need to go for a walk and Yoru would need his litter box cleaned. She hoped that she was making the right decision in choosing Zack. She'd find a way to repay him once she got back.

Without casting a backwards glance, she continued down the street in the direction of Yuko's shop. Her heart felt heavy and wounded. "Is this what a traveler feels? Does it really hurt this much to get up and leave everything? I guess it doesn't hurt that bad because I know that I'll come back someday. Even if we're apart, we're still connected by the same sky, not matter where we go." _But then again, if I'm going to different worlds, will the sky look the same? The night sky will be…the stars will be the same…_

The bloated sun began to sink, casting long shadows and painting the sky with fire. Cars passed by her, not noticing the girl who would be embarking on a life-changing journey. Soon, the tall office buildings that she had seen that day she had stumbled upon the shop appeared and Hana knew she was close. Hana walked along the black fence until she stood at the entrance, staring at the shop that lay before her.

Hana gazed at the sky now streaked orange. The wind began to kick up, playing with her copper hair. A sudden thought occurred to her. She could turn back now and just go on with her normal life. But that thought scared her even more that the road leading to an unknown future. Taking a deep breath, she stepped off the sidewalk and into the shop's yard. She was leaving everything behind, no going back now.

"The customer is back! The customer is back!" the two girls, Maru and Moru came bounding out of the house towards her.

"Alright then, bring her around to the back." Hana could hear Yuko's voice from inside.

"Alright, mistress!" they sang and, grabbing Hana's arms, dragged her along to the back of the shop. "This way! This way!"

Hana allowed herself to be pulled along. _I will look forward no matter what happens now; this is the life I'm choosing. _She thought, closing her eyes momentarily to calm her anxious heart. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Yuko dressed in a black dress, Watanuki by her side. He was dressed in a high school uniform. She stopped and stared, realizing that is was her school's uniform.

_How ironic that he'd go to my school…and he's in my same grade. I've never seen him around though…but that doesn't really matter now, does it? I won't be going to school for a long time. _Hana straightened herself and faced Yuko, waiting.

"Have you made your decision?" the woman asked.

"Yes I have," Hana replied confidently. "I want you to grant my wish."


	4. World 1: Departing Ways

**World 1: Departing Ways**

"I will grant your wish. In exchange you will travel to different worlds and clean up the holes left behind." Yuko said. "Watanuki, go fetch _that _from the storehouse." Watanuki nodded and disappeared into the house.

"So what are the specifics of this job? I haven't been told how I will get to these 'other worlds' and how I'll find the source of the holes."

"You'll be searching for something that contains a great deal of power that doesn't belong in that world." Behind her, Watanuki came back out with a fat black and white cat in his hands. "You'll be using this to travel." She held out the cat to her.

"A cat?" Hana's eyebrow rose curiously as she eyed the cat.

"Yes. It's almost the same thing as Mokana, only its' physical appearance. Mokana has the power to travel through dimensions and so does this thing."

"Ok…I'll take your word on it…but a cat?"

"Don't call me a cat!" the thing suddenly opened its eyes and sprang on her head.

"Wha-? It talks! The cat talks?" Hana exclaimed as the cat began to beat her on the head with its stubby paws. "Ow! Hey! Stop that!"

"It seems the two of you will be getting along quite well." Yuko mused. "This is Natori. Not only will he allow you to travel through dimensions, but he'll also act as a translator and a communication device between you and me."

"Communication device?"

"You'll understand later on. Also this thing also acts as a compact suitcase; he can fix all your stuff inside."

"I'm not sure I follow…" Hana muttered.

"Natori, would you kindly take Hana's bags?"

"Fine, fine!" he huffed. "Geez, I finally wake up and the first thing I'm greeted with is do this, do that." Natori opened his mouth wide and tendrils of light shot out. It enveloped her duffle bag until she couldn't see it anymore. Suddenly it vanished and Natori closed his mouth with a gulp.

"He-He ate my bag?" Hana cried as she grabbed his mouth and yanked it open. She froze as she found herself staring down into a black abyss. "Eh? What is this?"

"I didn't eat it! Let go of my face, you brat!" Natori hissed and head butted her.

"You abusive cat!" Hana snapped as she held her injured head.

"I can hold the dimensional portal open for a brief amount of time so I'd advise you to hurry and prepare yourself." Yuko advised. "I'll give you some pieces of advice before you go. When you go to a different world, there is a distinct possibility that it might look like this one?"

"What do you mean by that?" Hana asked. The shadows were stretching even longer as the sun continued to sink like a rock.

"There are alternant realities of this world in different dimensions. No matter how much the scenery and people look the same as they do here, they are all different. The people will have different memories and personalities, even if their faces are the same. Don't forget that. Also it would be best to not get too involved with the people there. Only do it if it is necessary."

"Why is that?"

"If you get too attached to the places you visit, you will cease to be a traveler. Too many attachments will wear you down. To be a traveler is taxing enough, so you don't need the extra burden."

"I see…so you feel that it will be better for me to remain an outsider wherever I go?" Hana's eyes turned solemn.

"You will be an outsider where ever you go in those worlds. You will never be a part of those worlds." Yuko told her.

"I know that." _I knew it from the beginning. But still…to disassociate yourself from people is still tough…_

"Natori will be able to sense the presence of the objects in each world so it'd be best if you carried him around with you at all times. Also I will give you a protective spell." Yuko held out her hand towards Hana, as if she saw stopping her. Suddenly, a blue summoning circle appeared on the ground underneath Hana's feet.

_What is this? Magic? _Hana thought in surprise. She could suddenly feel something coursing through her. It didn't hurt or feel cold; more like a warmth similar to that of warm, coursing water. _A protective spell? What does she mean by that?_

"This spell will protect you when you travel to other worlds. There will be dangers. You will meet remnants of the evil that has caused chaos through the world. The group that went on ahead, their destiny is to fight that evil." Yuko told her as she finished the spell.

"An evil? What kind? Like super bad guy like?" Hana stared at her hand, but saw no change.

"It is a greater evil that you can imagine. You will never have to face it head on, but you will encounter the remnants of his actions." She paused for a moment. "It is very likely that it is one of those remnants that killed your family." Hana's head snapped up at Yuko's words. "Are you thinking of revenge?"

"I…don't know…the possibility of finding the exact one who killed my family would be slim…Besides, what would I do? Kill it? What good would that do? My family would grieve if I had to kill something that killed them; they wouldn't want that." she said softly. "I will put my faith in these people who are traveling on ahead of me. I know that they'll take care of the remnants for me."

"That may be, but you'll face the remnants when you travel as well. They'll be guarding the worlds in order to make sure that the holes are not fixed up. They'll stop at nothing to make sure you do not succeed. Even if you say that you have no intention of killing, you might possibly have to in order to keep yourself alive."

"I see…but I don't have a weapon…to kill with…" she mumbled.

"You won't need to worry about that until the time comes; the protective spell will keep you safe for the time being. Now, it's time. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"When you travel through the dimensional rift, there's no telling where you'll end up. There's nothing I can do about that; it'll be purely up to chance."

"I understand."

"Don't forget to read the book I gave you and take this as well." Yuko reached out and handed her a thin rectangle made of plastic, similar to a credit card. "It's a universal credit card. As long as you know where you are, this card will have the currency of that area on it."

"Ok…that's interesting…and helpful…" Hana stared at the card before slipping it into her pocket.

"If you need to get in contact with me, Natori will tell you how. Now then, Mokana," Yuko held out her hand.

"Righty! I'm ready!" the black rabbit came bounding out of nowhere and lept into her hand.

_Here goes nothing then…I'm really going to be leaving…_Hana thought and let out a sigh to steady her nervous heart.

"Hana!" Zack's voice cut through the stillness and her eyes snapped towards him. He stood there a few yards away, out of breath like he had run all the way to find her.

"Zack?" she stood there in confusion. "Why are you here? Did you follow me?"

"Heck yeah I followed you!" he huffed. "What's with that letter you left me? Leaving? Taking care of your pets? Why are you suddenly just leaving?" he ran towards her but was stopped by Yuko's hand.

"You can't come any closer otherwise you'll be lost in the fabric of space." Yuko warned.

"And what do you mean by that? Why are you leaving without telling me, Hana?" Zack demanded, his face hurt.

"This was something I decided to do. Please understand…" Hana smiled as Mokana's jewel on his forehead began to glow and he opened his mouth wide. A glowing circle appeared under her feet just like the protective spell. This circle was different; bigger and bursting with more power. She could see the surprise and slight fear on Zack's face as light sprang up from the circle around her.

"Wait! I want to come with you!" he protested trying to lunge for Hana, but Yuko kept him back. "Why can't you just trust me? I want to be by your side, Hana, like I always have!"

"You can't go with her. She has paid the price for her wish and her wish alone."

"Hana! Just tell me why you're suddenly leaving!"

"This is my dream, Zack. I want…to travel…to find myself. It's not that I don't trust you; I do. You are the closest thing I have to a brother, my best friend. Please take care of Yoru and Tristan for me. Please don't worry about me, I'll be back soon." Hana could only smile at him, trying hard not to notice the pain written on his face. The beams of light began to form a canopy over her, encasing her like a bubble.

"Please, Hana! Don't go! I lo-," he began to say, his hand reaching out towards her, but then she was gone in an instant. There was a flash of light and then Hana disappeared before his eyes just as the last rays of sunlight brushed again the yard. Zack stood there, in shock, staring at the spot where she'd been. Her smile hung in the memory of the last few seconds.

"It's over now." Yuko's words fell on deaf ears.

"What…just happened…?" Zack asked quietly, clutching at his aching chest. It was just too much for him. One minute she was there then she was gone.

"Her wish was to travel and I granted it by sending her to another world."

"What do you mean by that?" Zack shouted, his fists clenching so hard that his knuckles turned white. His eyes remained locked on the ground, trying to process what the woman was saying. "Another world? Do you mean…she's dead?" His eyes stung like he was going to cry.

"She's not dead, just in a different dimension." Yuko stood there looking at him with a look that hinted nothing. Maru and Moro were next to Watanuki, staring in silence. "Since you are here, you must have a wish. Come inside and tell it to me and I will grant it."

"Grant…my wish…?" Zack's eyes, full of desperation, rose at the chance.

"Yes, this is a wish shop; I can grant any wish for the right price." Without another word, Zack's legs stared to move towards the shop, enticed by the proposition of a granted wish.

_Where am I? _Hana thought to herself as she felt the world rushing past her. She opened her eyes for the first time since she had left Yuko's shop. The image of Zack's pained face burned in her mind and made her chest hurt. _He looked…so hurt. I hurt him. What kind of friend am I? _Slowly she began to take in her surroundings. She was floating through a dark tunnel lined with small photograph looking tiles. Each was moving extremely fast, too fast for her to really judge what they were. They looked like clips from movies, or reels from someone's memories. Flowing and changing they moved past her.

"It feels like I'm falling, but I'm not falling. What is this sensation?" Hana said aloud, looking around for the cat named Natori. "Hey, Natori? What is this? Where are you?"

"It is the dimensional rift. It's like a tunnel between worlds." His unseen voice responded. "I'm busy teleporting you at the moment so try and do something creative."

"Well aren't you a charming cat thing. Natori was it? I think I'll change your name to Fat Louie since you're so fat. And you remind me of the cat from The Princess Diaries."

"How dare you? You insolent brat!" Natori shouted at her. "My name is Natori! N-A-T-O-R-I!"

"Annoying cat…" Hana muttered and closed her eyes. It felt weird to have the world rushing past her like she was falling, but not falling. _This is still al so weird…I never thought that I'd be traveling through a dimensional tunnel. Who knew that there'd be so many unknown things that I'm getting to experience? If I hadn't ran into that shop…would things have stayed the same? Would Zack have not showed that painful face? Or would I have been forced to go to America? So many what ifs. It's kinda tiring…_

Soon, gravity took a hold of her and jerked her out of the comforting, dream-like falling sensation. Cold air suddenly rushed past her, whipping her hair around. The images around her were ripped away as the tunnel faded. Her eyes snapped open in time to see the ground come hurtling towards her.


	5. World 2: The Land of Fire

**World** **2: The Land of Fire**

It's a funny feeling, feeling like your falling and then the next you're _actually _falling. There's no way to describe the feeling. Well in Hana's case, all she could do was cry out in fear as she hurtled towards the ground that was growing ever closer.

"AH! What do I do? What do I do? Fat Louie, what do I do?" Hana cried as she flapped her arms wildly like a flightless turtle and was falling as fast as one. "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!"

"Calm down!" Natori appeared next to her, his face in equal distress.

"Calm down? We're going to hit the ground and DIE at this rate if you hadn't noticed!" she screamed at him. "Why in the world do we have to fall from the sky? Why can't we just land normally-?" Suddenly everything went black and an intense pain coursed through her body as she fell through tree branches before hitting the hard ground. The breath was knocked out of her like she had hit water in a belly flop.

She lay on the ground like an overturned turtle, covered in scratches and sappy leaves. The sunlight was bright against her eyes. "Ow…that hurt…" she moaned as she gingerly checked herself to see if she was still alive. Natori suddenly slammed against her stomach like a sack of flour, making her convulse. Hana let out a groan and went limp, twitching with pain.

"Wow, I was expecting that to hurt more…I guess it was a good thing that I didn't hit the ground." the cat mused as he stretched out on her stomach.

"Good…for whom…?" she managed to say in a strained voice as the pain slowly began to fade. She was sure that she'd find internal bleeding later. "I can assure you…the ground is quite hard…"

"Well then maybe you should have stopped yourself from hitting the ground." He sniffed. "Honestly, what a troublesome human you are."

"How am I supposed to do that when we're falling from the sky?" Hana jerked up straight with a cry and grabbed the cat by his cheeks. "This is your fault, you fat cat? Why did we have to fall from the sky? Why couldn't we have just landed normally?"

"Stop that! I don't know how!" Natori cried in protest.

"What do you mean 'You don't know how'? What kind of crap answer is that?" Hana hissed and stood up.

"I told you I don't know, you brat! Let me go!" Hana did as she was told and dropped him, feeling no remorse as he hit the ground.

"There, I let you go. And the names not brat, it's Hana." She informed him and scanned the area.

"Whatever…" the cat huffed and plopped back on his hindquarters. "so, where are we?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"It's like I said; where are we?" he repeated and licked his paws.

"You mean you don't even know?"

"Would I be asking if I knew? It's like Yuko said, even I don't know where we are."

"Well that's just great…Guess we need to find some people and ask around…" Hana muttered and looked around. Suddenly she stopped, her eyes locked on three figures standing a few yards away with bewildered looks on their faces. Out of all of them, there was one dressed in an orange jumpsuit looking outfit and had spikey bright blonde hair. There were three lines on each cheek, similar to whiskers, and this confused her. The other boy in the group had wild black hair and a slightly dour look on his face and the girl had short bubble-gum pink hair. They all looked like they were going somewhere; they had large backpacks on their backs.

_How long have they been standing there? Who are they? Bubble-gum pink hair? Does such a hair color really exist? I had no idea. But then again, the twins at the shop had weird hair colors too…What should I do…run away? Talk to them…? I don't know what to do! _Hana thought her mind racing.

"Alright, guys, sorry I'm late!" a guy with silver hair appeared out of nowhere. He stopped and stared at the three. "What's wrong?"

"Th-That girl just fell from the sky!" the kid with blonde hair cried, pointing a nervous finger at Hana.

"Fell from the sky, what are you talking about?" The man turned to Hana and appraised her with one hooded eye. "Huh?"

_Huh? He's staring at me. Why's he staring at me? Who's this guy? Is he the leader? Teacher? What do I do? What do I do? _Hana thought nervously as she shrank under his intense gaze. She noticed that her had a mask covering his mouth and had a headband covering his left eye. It was very odd to her. He looked like a ninja from one of the animes she used to watch. Her eyes shifted behind him to look at the three still standing a ways away. They also had headbands similar to the man who now stood dangerously close to her.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise. I didn't think we'd find anyone out here." he said as he stroked his hand in thought. "So, miss, where are you from? What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Ask her why she suddenly fell out of the sky!" the blonde kid shouted.

"Did she really fall out of the sky?" the man, Kakashi-sensei she guessed was his name, asked them. They nodded. "Interesting. So, miss, care to explain all of this?"

"Well…I…uh…I…uh…" she stammered, unable to think of what to say.

"Just say something already, brat!" Natori hissed from behind her.

"Hush up, you!" Hana snapped back. "I'm working on it. if you want to make yourself useful, stop hounding me and help!"

"Think faster!"

"Well, a talking cat. Must be a summoning." Kakashi looked down at the black and white cat.

_Summoning? _

"I am not a cat! Nor am I a summoning!" Natori tried to lunge for the man, but Hana grabbed him firmly and held him at bay.

"Just shut you're big mouth, Fat Louie!" she clamped a hand over his mouth.

"It's Natori, brat!"

"So I see, Fat Louie and Brat. So those are your names, eh?" Kakashi muttered to himself.

"No they are not. My name's Hana Rose Everdeen." Hana told them. "This is Fat Louie."

"No it's not! It's Natori!" the cat yelled, but Lafayel ignored him.

"I see, Hana and Fat Louie. So what brings you two doing here? Ah first things first, I'm Kakashi Hatake. Those three are my students. Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha." He pointed to them, starting with Sakura and making his way over to Sasuke on the end.

"Students, huh? Interesting, nice to meet you all." She gave a slight bow, Natori struggling in her arms.

"So, what brings you here?" Kakashi asked again. The wind had begun to blow slightly, ruffling her hair.

"Well actually, I'm not from around here." she admitted. "I guess we just sorta landed here by chance."

"Landed? So did you really fall from the sky?"

"Uh…" _Now what? If I say yes, they'll think I'm crazy…What to do, what to do…_ "I guess that's one way of putting it. I didn't really fall from the sky…I just happened to be traveling along when I lost my footing and just fell through the trees." Hana told them, hoping that that would buy her enough time to come up with a more believable story. "Would you mind telling me where I am?"

"You're in the Land of Fire right now. And where are you from?"

"I actually don't come from any place in particular. I just travel around." Hana said the first thing that popped into her mind. She wasn't able to stop her mouth from saying the words.

"A traveler? That's something we haven't seen in a while. You must have been to a lot of different places then. How old are you?" he mused.

"Kakashi-sensei!" the girl named Sakura chided angrily.

"What? It's just a question." He defended innocently.

"You sound like a pervert when you suddenly ask some girl's name!"

"I sound like a pervert?" he muttered and shrugged. "Anyway, getting back to what we were talking about, how old are you?"

"…17…" Hana replied, a bit uncomfortable. The Universal Credit Card vibrated in her pocket suddenly, but she was hesitant to pull it out.

"17…Awfully young to be traveling around by yourself. But then again a lot of young people do interesting things now a days. So where are you headed, Hana?"

"Uh…to the next…village. I need to stop and get something to eat. I can't remember what it's called; I think my fall may have jostled my memory a bit." She laughed sheepishly, hoping that they wouldn't notice the uncertainty in her voice.

"You mean the Hidden Leaf village? It's right up the road. If you look carefully you can see the huge wall that surrounds the village!" Naruto pointed out energetically.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed and grabbed him by the collar roughly. Sasuke gave a sigh and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What did I do? What did I do?" he cried.

"Don't go telling things to random strangers! What if she's a spy?"

"Uh…I'm standing right here, you know. I can hear what you're saying…" Hana started, but they weren't paying any attention to her. She let out a sigh, her shouldering sagging in exhaustion. _What am I gonna do? I'm hungry…and according to that kid, Naruto, their village, the Hidden Leaf village or whatever, is just up ahead. Of course it's natural for them not to trust me; I'm a complete stranger who fell out of the sky. I guess it's only natural to think I'm a spy. Perhaps what I'm searching for might be in the village? But wouldn't Fat Louie have noticed? Maybe there's a certain range he has to be in in order to sense it. I can't ask him now…it would look too suspicious. Do I follow them to the village? Then what? Look around searching aimlessly? But what will I do if it isn't in the village? I'd need a map of the area before I started searching other places…_

Her stomach let out a loud growl that echoed around the clearing that they were standing in. at eyes turned to Hana and her face turned bright pink "tell me, Hana, when was the last time you ate?" Kakashi asked her.

"I can't really remember…"

"Do you have any money?"

"Yes…" _I think I do…but I don't know how much…_

"Alright then, why don't you come with us to Konoha?"

_Is that the village that they were talking about? Should I go? _"Uh…sure, if it's not too much trouble." She replied.

"Alright then, we were done with our mission anyway. Let's head back, team 7." He told them and turned towards the direction of the village.

"Right, sensei." They said in unison and followed after him. Hesitantly, Hana followed behind, still carrying Natori in her arms.

"So, we're gonna go get some food? I hope there's saké." the cat said.

"Saké? Why would you think of saké at this time?" Hana looked down at him as she sun was setting.

"Because I haven't had any for a long time…I miss it so much…" His eyes got wistful as he said the word saké.

"You're nothing but a drunkard cat! You'll be the death of me…" she exclaimed under her breath. "So, have you sensed anything yet?"

"You mean 'it'? Not yet." He answered.

"How close do you have to be to it to sense it?"

"Dunno."

Hana sighed heavily. "Great, well that does no good for me. Looks like this is gonna be a long job…"

"Well as long as I have saké I'll be fine."

"That's easy for you to say…you carefree cat…" Hana stopped as they approached the entrance to the village. Naruto hadn't been kidding when he said the wall was huge. In fact it was enormous, about 90 feet high or more. It seemed to stretch on forever on either side. She stood there, staring up at it with wide eyes and at a loss for words.

"Hey, Hana, you coming?" Kakashi's voice brought her to attention. Team 7 stood at the village gate's entrance, watching her.

"Uh yeah, sorry. It's just so big…" she replied.

"Konoha is known for its huge wall that protects the village" Kakashi explained to her.

"Have you never heard of Konoha? It's pretty well known in the ninja world. This is our village's symbol, see?" Naruto pointed to his headband on his forehead. It looked like a poorly drawn, upside down snail or someone's interpretation of a leaf. Either way, it was the village's symbol, engraved in the metal headband indefinitely.

"Hidden leaf village…Team 7….Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake…Ninjas…Land of Fire…" Hana began to mutter quietly under her breath. She closed her eyes as she began to make sense of where she was. Suddenly all the pieces came together like puzzle pieces of a jigsaw. "I got it now! I remember where this place is!" she cried as her eyes flew open. "This is Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"


	6. World 2: Team 7

**World 2: Ninja of the Hidden Leaf**

"Uh, yes, Hana, this is the Konoha Village. I thought we just got through telling you that." Kakashi was the first one to break the silence. They were all staring at her weirdly as Hana began to register what she had just said.

"Yeah well, I was just pointing out the fact that this _is _Konoha. You know, I think that fall might have jostled my head a bit…" She laughed gingerly, tapping the side of her head. Natori shot her an equally curious look, questioning her sanity.

"Well if you think you hit it hard enough, you might want to get it checked out." The huge green doors to the village opened and let them in. there was a ninja standing by a small hut looking building by the entrance and he glanced up at them as they entered, the sun glinting off his head band.

"Hey, Kakashi, you're back." He smiled. "What'd you bring back this time?" His eyes landed on Hana.

"A traveler; we found her wandering around outside the village. Say's she was on her way here."

_Did I say that? Oh well, can't do much now…But this is just too weird…This is Naruto, as in the anime and the manga Naruto! And it's an actually thing, a real place! Does that mean that Masashi Kishimoto's manga story is real? Or was this world created because he wrote the manga? Like an alternate reality or something? If it's an alternate reality, then it means the events in this world are already predetermined…So where am I in the story plot? _Hana was too busy thinking to hear the ninja's question.

"Hana." Kakashi said tapping her on the head, shattering her thoughts.

"Uh? What? Sorry, I guess I was daydreaming a bit."

"Do you have your traveling papers? This guy needs to see them." Hana froze, her face looking like someone who had forgotten something very important.

"Y-Yeah, just give me a minute." She turned to Natori for help. _I completely forgot about traveling papers! Oh man, what do I do now? If I don't have any papers, they'll think I'm a spy and I'll be locked up! Then I'll be interrogated and if I learned anything from watching the anime, the interrogator is scary! _"Psst, Fat Louie, do we have any traveling papers?" She whispered, trying to remain calm.

"Don't call me that!" he hissed. "I don't know."

"Listen, cat, you need to spit something up that at least looks like traveling papers, otherwise we'll be locked up as spies. Do you understand me?"

"Fine, I'll see what I got." He opened his mouth and it began to shine with a bright white light. First her bag shot out onto the ground beside her then a purple folder fluttered out. They stared at it for several seconds before Hana picked it up to look at it. She stiffened as she read the contents. _This is crap! No one's going to believe that these are traveling papers! _At the bottom it said "Curtsey of Yuko" signed with a black swallowtail butterfly. _Yuko! _

The ninja suddenly took the folder from her and looked over it carefully and Hana felt a small part of herself die inside. _Noooo! My journey's over before it even started! _She screamed inside, watching the ninja's facial expressions.

"Alright, it all looks good. Welcome to Konoha, Miss Everdeen." The ninja replies with a smile and hands the papers back to Hana. She stood there with a mixture of disbelief and surprise on her face.

"Ah…thanks…I guess…" She replied robotically picking up her bag and walked past the gates in a daze. _What in the world just happened? They believed these papers? I don't get any of this…I need to contact Yuko about this. _

"Looks like we got lucky this time." Natori muttered.

"More than lucky…"

"So what now?"

"We get some food." The lights were starting to turn on, lighting up the village like Time's Square, New York. A whole pallet of new smells washed over her, making her stomach growl at the scent of so many different food smells.

"Wonder what we'll eat. Have you checked the Credit Card yet?" the cat looked around at the people moving about through the streets. Behind Hana and Natori, team 7 followed, watching her every move.

"I'm doing that now." Hana slipped it out and read what it said. On the top of the blue and yellow plastic card it said "You are in the Konoha Village in the Land of Fire" on a thin screen at the top. At the bottom it said amount. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped.

"What's with that face?" looking up, Natori noticed her shocked expression.

"Th-That's a lot of zeros…" she choked, still trying to let it sink in. _I could buy…pretty much anything I wanted to back home…THIS is a lot of money. I should be able to buy something with this…but I don't think they've come up with the cash register yet. Well that does me no good! I have all this money and I can't access it to use it._

"If it's a lot of zeros then why are you making a depressed face?"

"Because," she said, "I don't think they take credit cards here. This does no good to me unless it's hard cash."

"Maybe you should read the book Yuko gave you." He suggested.

This hadn't occurred to Hana. It was the most logical thing to do, but it completely went over her head. "…I guess maybe I should." She rummaged around in her bag until she found the book and stared at it. _This thing does have a table of contents like a normal book, right? _The pages were heavy as she flipped through the part she assumed was the table of contents. _Let's see…"How to avoid upsetting a government or place of power", no, "How to avoid black holes and time warps", no, "List of unknown and different creatures you might experience", I'm not gonna comment, "How to use all devices used in Time Traveling", that sounds more like it…Let's see…Page 45…_

"Hey, Hana!" Naruto's "you-can't-ignore-me" voice cut through her thoughts like a Justin Bieber song, making her cringe. She turned to find him running towards her, alone, his other teammates had vanished. "Are you going anywhere?"

"Uh…no, not really," she answered, quickly flipping to the page she needed, dog-earing it. _I don't even know where I'm going to stay. Maybe somewhere really, really cheap. Like a cardboard box._

"You wanna get some ramen with me?" it face was beaming with eagerness, overwhelming her with bright optimism.

"Sure…I am a bit hungry? Where'd the rest of your team go?"

"Oh they left since the mission was over. Sakura probably went home and who cares about Sasuke, am I right?"

"I guess…" _That's right, I know the whole story and who likes who. Naruto likes Sakura who likes Sasuke who likes no one. Such a sad love triangle…But where am I in the time line? Sasuke…hasn't left yet…so this much mean that it's not even the Chu'nin exams yet…_Hana thought sadly, remembering Sasuke's betrayal.

"Hey, why's your face looking all sad and stuff?" Naruto was walking beside her, gazing at her with wide blue eyes.

"Ah, it's nothing." Hana assured him with a smile.

"She's just upset because she's so short." Natori yawned.

Hana glared down at the cat and grabbed him by the scruff. "I'm sorry. I didn't quite hear that? What were you saying about my height, you drunk cat?" her voice seethed, her eyes burning with the flames of rage.

"Let go of me, you brat! I'm not a cat!" he hissed, trying to scratched her face.

"You are to me!" she squeezed him in her arms as he tried to claw his name away. "You are a big, fat, obnoxious cat who has cursed the world with your big fat mouth!" Hana squeezed the cat hard with each word. The cat gave a muffled meow and went limp. "Oh? Have you give up already?"

"I-I think you killed him…" Naruto poked the unconscious cat hesitantly.

"Oh please, he'll be just fine. A good nap will do him good." Hana told him and continued walked like nothing had happened, carrying the limp cat in her arms.

"What are you reading?" the boy asked, noticing the book in her hands. He was as ADHD as a puppy. Hana held it up for him to read and he squinted at the title. "'The Time Traveler's…Guide to the Universe…?' What kinda of name is that? Time traveling? That's not possible."

"You're right; this book is a fictional book." _The less people who know about this, the better. _

"I guess you like reading. I hate reading; too many words." He muttered. "Here's the place!" he pointed to a ramen shop up ahead, shinning like a bright beacon in the night. The scent of food hit her in the face and seemed to be pulling her along. "You'll like this place," she heard him say as they entered the ramen stall, "the food is the best."

"That's good." Hana sat down at the raised bar. Behind the divider that separated the kitchen from the rest of the stall, a man wearing a white apron smiled at them as steam rose up from the pots of boiling noodles.

"Hey, old man! Get me the usual! And one for Hana!" Naruto smiled as he plopped down, dropping his bag on the ground. Hana set hers down carefully and

surveyed the menu.

"Alright, Naruto. So I see you're back from your mission already? So who's your friend?" the man asked as he began to fill two large bowls.

"This is Hana, she's a traveler."

"A traveler, huh?" Hana eyed the steaming bowls filled with noodles, a slice of egg, and meat. "So where are you from?"

"I don't even remember anymore, it's been so long." Hana said, smiling. Natori was snoring on the stool next to her, lying on it like a limp bag of flour.

"So what exactly do you do in your travels? What made you want to travel?" Hana pondered his question as she broke apart her chopsticks, feeling the familiar wood texture under her fingers as she took her first mouthful of noodles. Her face lit up eagerly as the flavorful tastes settled on her tongue. "Good, isn't it?"

She nodded and chewed the noodles thoroughly before replying. "Yes, very. Why I started traveling?" She paused, remembering all that happened before she left. It all felt like millions of miles away, years away despite it only have been an hour since she had left Yuko's. Or had it been longer? It felt longer. "I guess I just wanted to leave my old life and see the world. I'm also searching for something very important."

"Aren't we all?" The ramen man rubbed his hands on a towel as Naruto finished his bowl and set it down loudly, signaling that he wanted another.

"What're you searchin for?" Naruto asked, leaning forward curiously, his blue sandaled feet swinging in the air back and forth.

"Something important. Once I find it, I'll move on to my next destination."

"And you think it's here?" he slurped up more ramen.

"Hopefully." She mused, staring off into the broth left in the bowl. Her distorted reflection stared back and she continued to look at it until she couldn't stand to any longer and gulped down the rest.

"You said that you came from a place far away, right?" Naruto inquired again, his voice muffled through the food.

"Yes."

"Do you have a Hokage or anything like that?"

"Not really. We have a man that is in a place of power, but it's nothing like a Hokage." Hana looked over at Natori suddenly, wondering when he was going to wake up and then at the book he was sleeping on top of.

"Oh, like a feudal lord or something? Well, one day, I'm gonna become the Hokage! The best there's ever been! Believe it!" He pointed his chopstick in the air, still wearing that blissful smile on his face. Hana stopped and looked at him, then burst out laughing at his lame ending line. It was so familiar to her, all the chapters ending with his famous catchphrase "Believe it!" If only the boy sitting next to her in the bright orange jumpsuit knew, if he only knew how much his future would push him towards greatness. "Hey! Why are you laughing?"

"The ending phrase. I almost took you seriously until you said 'Believe it!' then you lost me!" she chuckled.

"Hey! It's a cool phrase! Just you wait!" he went back to eating, slightly stung by her laughing.

"I believe you. I can just tell that you're destined to become the greatest Hokage, Naruto." Hana said finally calming down as her laughter trickled off.

"You really think so?" His eyebrows perked up as his moment of hurt was dispelled.

"Yup, totally!" Somewhere behind her words, Hana knew what lay ahead, the betrayal, the death, the friendships, the hurt, the meetings, and everything else in between. It felt weird, knowing the future, but not being able to tell anyone. She knew if she told him, the whole course of Naruto's destiny would fall apart with a few words.

_I guess this is what Yuko meant when I'd only be able to be a bystander…Knowing what will happen, but being unable to do anything for fear of changing the future of an already delicate world. Is this how she feels? Does she know the future? It feels…heavy and lonely…_She thought.

"Hey, you've got that sad look on your face. Are you homesick?" Naruto's face was suddenly close to hers.

"Y-Yeah, just a bit." She jerked back a back, startled.

"I guess I'd be pretty sad to leave this place too. I have a lot of friends who I'd miss."

"It's the same for me."

"Do you have a family?" She knew that the question would be coming sooner or later.

"No." Hana left it at that.

"Neither do I. it was really lonely, but I found friends. So I'm not that lonely anymore." Still, he smiled. Naruto was always smiling even though he had experienced loneliness. When had she stopped learning how to smile that way? Would she ever be able to smile that way again?

"I see. You are very lucky." Hana said, pulling out the credit card to stare at it. She had finished her meal and figured she should pay quickly so that she could go find a place to stay before it got too late. Her fingers rubbed against its smooth plastic back until her fingers hit what felt like a small, flat button that was barely raised. _What's this? _She pressed it and it beeped, suddenly shooting out bills from its side. _What the-?_ Fumbling, she pressed the button again and the flow of money stopped. She hopped down and scrabbled to pick up the money.

"What was that?" Naruto exclaimed as he leaned over her shoulder, eyeing the money that she was collecting in her hands. "That's a lot of money. Do you carry all that around?"

"Yeah, I gotta survive somehow." Hana stood up and turned to the shop owner. "Will this be enough?" She held out the money. As the man took in the money, his eyes widened.

"you want to pay…with all _that_?" He breathed, stunned at seeing so much.

"I want to pay for my meal and Naruto's." She insisted. "you can keep the change."

"No, I couldn't do that. what you have there is enough money for ten people to eat. You guys only ate five bowls."

"It's fine, really. I have a lot more." Her smile eventually wore the man down and with a reluctant sigh, he took the money.

"Alright, if you insist."

"Well, thank you for the food." Hana gathered up her things and Natori and left.

"Come again!" the man called.

"Hana!" Naruto raced out after her. "Thanks for buying me dinner. To be honest, I didn't have any money on me!"

_Still happy-go-lucky as ever._ She sighed. "Hey, do you know of a place where I can stay?"

"Yeah, there's an inn down the road a bit on the right. It's blue. The rent is cheap and the landlady throws rocks at the kids who mess with her flower garden and paint her cat. She'll let you and your cat stay." He told her.

_And you must know from experience. _Hana said in her head. "Thanks for letting me know. It was nice meeting you, Naruto." She waved and went her spate way.

"It was nice meeting you too!" he shouted, his hand waving in the evening air like a fast metronome. "Maybe tomorrow we can meet up!"

Hana smiled, not wanting to get his hopes up. Remembering his directions, she looked for a blue building similar to an inn on the right. Natori was muttering in his sleep softly, something about food and saké.

"I'm not a cat!" he suddenly cried, his eyes snapping open as he shot upwards, colliding with her lower jaw. It was like being stuck by a brick; a fat, furry brick.

"What the heck?" she shouted, slamming her hand down hard on his head. He gave a shudder then went limp again, muttering softly again like a drunk in his sleep. "Man that freaking hurt!" Hana rubbed her sore jaw sourly and continued down the street, people staring at her.


	7. World 2: New Realizations

**Well, i guess i'll start off by saying that it's been awhile. i've been busy with my other story and such and dealing with high school, which is basically the stealer of joy and free time. So yeah, here's the new chapter and as usual, i do not own any of Masashi Kishimoto's ideas and Naruto belongs to him and xxxholic doesn't belong to me either. so please enjoy. **

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**World 2: New Realization **

"…Hey, Hana, get up. Hana, get up!" Hana vaguely heard the annoying sound of the cat calling her name. She rolled over and wiggled under the covers like a caterpillar. "I said get up, brat!" With an angry growl, Natori cannonballed into her stomach, knocking the air out of her as she doubled over in pain.

"Gah! What the-!" She gasped as Natori rolled off, leaving her withering. "What was that for you stupid cat?" Hana's eyes raged at him as he sat on the bed, running his paw over his ears. Sunlight was streaming through the window, lighting up the sparsely furnished room of the hotel room they were staying in.

"I'm hungry, so get up. Let's go get something to eat." He replied flatly and she picked herself up, burning with rage.

"And you expect me to get you food after you nearly caused me internal bleeding again?"

"Quit overreacting; you're not dead. Now hurry, up. I'm starving." The cat yawned.

"Why you-!" She grabbed him by the head with a crushing hand, lifting him into the air. "And who gave you the right to boss me around, cat?" Hana asked in a steely voice.

"I'm not a cat! Let me go!" He struggled in her grip and she observed him as she let him drop to the floor. Due to the cat's body mass, he hit head on the floor with a loud, heavy thud that sounded like a textbook being dropped.

"That was a poor choice of words." Hana muttered, rubbing her sore stomach. "Man that hurt. If this is going to become I regular thing I don't think I'll last much longer.

"I see stars now…" Natori moaned from the floor, delirious. Suddenly, a purple jewel appeared on his forehead and an image shot from the jewel onto the back of door of the room.

"What in the world…?" Hana squinted as the image grew clear, revealing the face of Yuko.

"Good morning, Hana!" She greeted cheerfully, wearing a carefree smile on her face that startled Hana.

"Y-Yuko? What are you doing here? How are you talking to me?" Hana rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming and the image remained. "Is this some kind of magic or something?"

Yuko gave her a strange look and laughed. "In a way it is. Natori is connected to Mokona. That allows me to talk to you. It's like a video chat, if you'd like to think of it that way. Also they act as links so you can send us stuff from other worlds through Natori!" She clapped her hands together as if she had thought of something exciting. "That means that if you find some good alcohol you should send it to me right away!"

_She's a drunkard just like Fat-Louie! What have I gotten myself into? _Hana thought miserably.

"So, how are you enjoying your traveling experience?" Yuko asked, her tone growing curious.

"It's an experience, I'll say that. The Dimensional portal thing is interesting, but the landing is quite painful. Does this cat have anyway of landing on the ground?"

"Not that I know of."

"Greeaaattt…" Hana sighed. "This is going to be a long mission then…Anyway, you may think this is strange, but, this world, is the exact same as one in a manga I read once."

"It's not strange at all. The world you're in was created because of the manga created in our world. Not only did the creator of the manga create a story full of characters and settings, he unknowingly created a parallel world that resembled his manga." Yuko said calmly, holding her pipe delicately in her hands.

"A parallel world? How?"

"Surely you've heard it somewhere before that for every action there is a reaction. Well, everything you do in our world affects some other world somewhere. Those actions can create, destroy, or do nothing at all. Masashi Kishimoto must have wanted his manga to have a life of its own and in turn those feelings created the world you are in now." Hana stared at her as she struggled to understand in what Yuko was saying. It was a rather easy concept to grasp, but the fact that it was real and redefined her knowledge of the possible and the impossible was what was giving her the hardest time. She knew that it must be real, but her brain refused to believe it. "I can see that you still don't understand it.

"You're right; I don't. No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem possible. Why is that?"

"That is because humans create their reality. If there is something that they don't comprehend, they simply do not wish to admit that it exists. They close their eyes to what is actually there, making it as if it doesn't exist." Yuko explained, puffing clouds of smoke into the air. "That's why ordinary humans can't see things such as ghost and spirits. They are there, but no one believes that they are there. Am I making and sense?"

"Yeah…I think I understand a little." She replied with a nod.

"I have another question to ask you, have you felt anything strange since you came to that world?"

"Felt anything?" Hana thought hard about the question. "I'm not sure what you mean. Everything here is strange. If you're talking about it, then no I haven't been able to sense it anywhere."

"I see…then you still have much to learn." Yuko mused, sounding like an old teacher.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's just as I said, you still are new to this and will have much to learn. You don't fully realize the situation you're in and don't have the skills yet that you need to complete your mission."

"And how do I do that?" Hana sounded confused. _Skills? I don't have any skills, is that what she's saying? Well…I've never been that athletic or anything and I don't really know anything about fighting…_

"I cannot tell you that; you need to figure it out on your own. When you do, there is a blank section in the book I gave you."

"Oh yeah, I just thought that that was there because the book wasn't finished yet." Hana looked over at the thick volume sitting on the nightstand.

"That's because it isn't." Hana's eyes snapped back over to Yuko, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

"It isn't finished? You mean you gave me an incomplete book?"

"No, it has the basic information you need to travel to different worlds, but it

doesn't have everything. Those blank pages are for you to write about your experience in each world. After your time in a world, you'll need to write about it in the book. Cultures, people, positions of power, special abilities, stuff of that nature."

"And why do I need to do that?"

"Because each world is different. The people are different, their sources of power are different. In short, everything is different. It'd be best to record all of that for future reference."

"So it's like a survival guide…?"

"Precisely; the other half of your mission is to finish the book by the time you return here." Yuko smiled and set the pipe down. "Now, let's discuss your payment!" her face grew excited.

"Payment? What payment?" Hana demanded, getting up quickly.

"Your payment for the information I gave you; it's equivalent exchange." Yuko informed her,

"You never told me that!" She cried, pointing an accusing finger at the witch.

"I didn't think I had to. It's only fair. I supplied you with information and you in turn must pay me with something of equal value otherwise the world will fall into chaos." Yuko said sweetly. "How about a nice bottle of saké? That sounds good, doesn't it?"

"Mokona wants some! Mokona wants some!" The black fur ball jumped into the image, perching itself on Yuko's shoulder.

"Saké…" Natori moaned from the floor, still not making any signs of waking up.

"It's settled then. As payment you'll send me some saké. You'd better do it as soon as possible!"

"W-Wait, Yuko!" Hana protested, but the image faded out and the jewel on Natori's forehead vanished. "What in the world have I gotten myself into?" She muttered as her shoulders sagged.

"Oi, Hana, what's going on?" Natori asked groggily as he woke up, looking around the room with half open eyes.

"Nothing…just another troublesome thing that has come up…" Hana sighed and pulled out her duffle bag. Hurriedly, she began to grab her clothes for the day while Natori stretched out on the floor.

"Whatever, it doesn't sound important. Hurry up and get ready, I'm starving. Let's go look for a place to eat with some saké."

"Is that all you think about in that alcohol-flooded brain of yours?" Hana asked flatly, frowning as she entered the bathroom.

"Brat!"

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"I wonder what Yuko was talking about when she asked if I sensed anything. What am I supposed to be sensing?" Hana muttered aloud as she slouched in the bench, staring up at the azure sky. In her hand was a half-eaten sandwich that Natori was eyeing. His belly pooched from all the food he had eaten.

"She probably meant to warn you that you should sense when you're food's about to be stolen." The cat grinned as he lunged for the sandwich. Hana raised her hand and Natori tumbled off and landing face first into the ground.

"Nice try, Fat-Louie, but I don't think that's what it was…" Hana tore off a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Skills…what are the skills here…?"

"Well don't ask me…" the cat grumbled irritably, glaring up at her.

"I wasn't, I was just sorting my thoughts out loud."

"Either way it sounds like you're talking to yourself."

"Go bother someone else; you're ruining my concentration." Hana told him. "This is Masashi Kishimoto's world, centered on ninjas. Ninjas use chakra as the source of their energy…" She closed her eyes and sighed, listening to the sounds of the world around her. _Ninjas can use the flow of chakra to create techniques known as jutsus. To be able to use a jutsu, a ninja must be able to control the flow of their chakra and use it. To do that, they must be able to sense the flow of chakra coursing through them…If I remember correctly from the anime, the flow of chakra looked like a flowing river…Flowing and circulating…_Hana's forehead furrowed together as she thought hard. Deep inside herself, she could feel something coursing through her. Her eyes snapped open and she gazed down a her hands.

"Huh? What's with that look? You look like you've discovered something." The cart commented.

"What I'm supposed to be sensing…is chakra." Hana said, sensing the energy inside of her now.

"Huh? Chakra? What is that? It's not some kinda food is it?" Natori turned to her, not really interested.

"No, it's the energy ninjas use to use as power. Charka is used in jutsus, the basic of a ninja's skill. I can feel it now, it's inside of me. That's what Yuko was talking when she asked if I sensed anything. But it makes no sense, why would I suddenly be able to sense it until now?"

"Jutsus, huh? Like this one? Sandwich Stealing Jutsu!" Natori hurled himself at her food yet again, but Hana saw him coming and brought her hand down on the top of his head, smacking him out of the air.

"Get your own food, you fat moocher!" Hana snapped and shoved the rest of her sandwich into her mouth.

"That hurt! And don't call me fat!" The cat whined, holding his head.

"Serves you right for trying to steal my food." She brushed off her hands and balled up the sandwich wrapper. "Well now that I can sense chakra, what do I do now? I'm not a ninja so I don't know how to use it. I don't have enough time to sit down and learn about manipulating chakra and weaving signs and stuff like that. Somehow I have to use my charka to complete my mission."

"Oh yeah the mission…" Natori sighed.

"Speaking of which, have you been able to locate it yet?" She turned to him expectantly.

"No…I can't sense it."

Hana let out a heavy sigh. "Man, I was hoping that things might become easier for us. Hopefully you're not too drunk to sense it, right?"

"I'm not drunk!" He protested then added quietly as he reached for the saké bottle, "Yet…" Hana face went deadpan as the cat took a long drink of alcohol.

"I can't believe you…" She leaned back in the bench, having no desire to continue

an argument with a drunken idiot. There was no point. "Now then, what will I do in this world of ninjas?"

"I see, so you're not a ninja. I figured that by how stealthy you were, but I am also surprised by this." Kakashi's voice from above made her jump.

"K-Kakashi?" She exclaimed and she was on her feet, looking up at the man sitting in the tree branch above the bench. The dapple sunlight camouflaged him in the leaves. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," he replied and surveyed her with his eye. "So, how about you explain everything clearly to me, starting from the beginning." As soon as she saw the corners of his mouth raise behind his black mask, she knew that she had been caught.

_Oh no, I've been found out already! This is bad! What do I do now? _Hana thought, her mind racing desperately. Natori lay on his back, giving a drunken hiccup, unaware of anything.

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**So? How was it? I still need to find out how Hana will find the _it _but i will figure it out someday. Reviews are always appreciated and if you liked this story then please try reading my other story _Night Rider._**


	8. World 2: Special Offer

**Finally got around to chapter 8. I've been way to distracted with my other fanfics and school work so this one took a bit of time. Again, as usual, i don't own Naruto or xxxholic. Please read, review, and enjoy.**

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**World 2: Special Offer**

"…and so that's how I ended up here. Please don't think I'm crazy, though you might think I am after hearing all that. I can assure you that I'm not a spy, I'm just a passbyer. I don't intend to hurt anyone so…you gotta believe me." Hana begged, finishing her whole experience. They had been sitting on the bench for half an hour while Hana struggled to explain her situation to Kakashi without coming off as mental, but when someone says that they're traveling through dimensions, it's a no win situation.

Kakashi leaned back against the bench, looking up at the sky with a sigh. A long period of silence passed that made Hana anxious. _Did I make the wrong choice by telling him? Was I not supposed to? Man, maybe I should have looked in the book. What if he doesn't believe me and I end up in jail. Or worse, a mental asylum? _Hana thought nervously, glancing to Natori for help. He was asleep on the ground, basking in the warm sunlight. Her eyebrow twitched a bit in irritation. _Way to help, Fat Louie. _

"Well," he said finally, breaking the silence, startling Hana, "I will say that that's the wildest story I've ever heard."

_Is that a good wild or a bad wild? Good wild might mean you believe me, and bad wild might mean that I'm going to be arrested._

"A different world, huh? Never heard that one before, but I guess anything is possible." Kakashi continued, pulling his book out again. Hana let out a relived sigh, sensing that this was a good sign. "So, you were sent here to fix something…in our world…in order to save the universe from collapsing, am I correct?"

"Well when you put it like that, then yeah." Hana replied. _When he says it like that it sounds like it's a bad thing. _

"So what is it exactly that you're looking for?" He asked, flipping a page, his eye focused on the page.

"Well…you see…" Hana glanced at his book that she knew contained questionable content then back at the building she'd been staring at from across the street. "I don't…really know…what it is that I'm looking for…" She knew that her words must sound lame because they felt lame leaving her mouth.

"That sounds like a good plan. Good luck then." Hana could detect the heavy sarcasm in his voice.

_I don't need you to point out the fact that my mission is virtually impossible if I don't know what I'm looking for. _ Hana thought with a sigh.

"And so what are you going to do about this?" Kakashi asked her again. "You mentioned that this job of yours could get pretty dangerous. Are you prepared for that? Do you even know how to fight?"

"Yeah I know how dangerous it is…but I don't know much about fighting…I don't even own a weapon."

Kakashi sighed. "And you expect to complete your mission like that? Honestly, whoever hired you to do this job obviously chose the wrong person."

"Hey! I'm not that lame! I'll learn how to fight!" Hana protested, jumping to her feet defensively. He just chuckled under his breath. "Hey! Don't laugh at me! What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing. For a moment there you sounded like Naruto for a moment." Hana stopped and thought about it.

_Oh…I guess I did…He does have a point though. How can I be expected to complete this mission if I don't even know how to defend myself or how to even find what it is I'm looking for? _Hana thought, sitting back down, twiddling her fingers together in thought.

"Do you know about chakra?" he questioned suddenly, making her turn to face him.

"Yeah…" she answered. _I know all about this world, all but how to use chakra and fight. I know a lot of jutsus and stuff…that might come in handy…Wait, does that mean that I can use jutsus here? That'd be sweet. That's like every fan persons dream! _

"But I suspect that you don't know how to weave signs and control the flow of chakra, right?"

"You got it…" As much as she hated to admit it, it was true.

"You sure?" The ninja turned to her and stared at her intently. The look on his face made her feel self-conscious.

"What are you staring at? Is there something on my face?" Hana inquired, raising an eyebrow, touching her face cautiously.

Kakashi stopped reading. "No I just thought that you could use the amount of chakra you have…never mind."

_Wait, what does he mean by that? Is he trying to say…that I have a large amount of charka? No, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself…_Hana mulled over what Kakashi had said. "So what does that mean? What are you trying to say?"

"If you're willing to…I might be able to do something for you." He said, resuming his reading.

"You're willing to do something special for me? That doesn't sound like you."

"What do you mean like that?"

"Oh nothing. So what do you have in mind?" Hana assured him, smiling to hide her slip up. _That was close! I almost gave myself away that I know about this place, much more than other people. _

"I might be able to help you to use your chakra. Once you know how to control and manipulate the flow of your chakra, you can learn some jutsus on your own." Kakashi explained to her.

"Really? You'd be willing to train me?" Her eyes widened with anticipation.

"Make no mistake; I'm not doing this out of kindness. I just don't want to find out that you were killed by someone who is more unskilled as Naruto. I think I'd feel guiltier for not helping you. Also, just a little heads up, this will be no walk in the park."

"Thank you! Thank you! I understand, sir!" Hana gave a salute, smiling brightly. She could hardly contain herself. _This is so cool! I'm going to be trained by Kakashi-sensei. It really _is_ like every fangirl's dream! _

"What are you doing?" He sighed heavily, shaking his head sadly. "You're acting like Naruto. What have I gotten myself into? I hope that you're not going to give me trouble."

"Sorry, sorry. It won't happen again." She assured him and picked up the sleeping cat. "So when do we start?"

"We can start whenever you want, but I think it would be wise to start as soon as possible." Closing his book, the silver haired ninja stood up and slipped the book in his pocket.

"Ok, tomorrow it is then." Suddenly Hana's phone went off, making Kakashi turn suddenly.

"What is that?"

"It's…my phone?" She hadn't been expecting her phone to go off either. Hesitalty, she pulled it out and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Don't hello me, Hana! I've been trying to get in touch with you for so long! Where are you? I've been worried sick!" Hana jerked the phone away from her ear as Zack's voice shouted on the other end.

"Zack? Is that you?" She put the phone back to her ear again as his voice died down.

"Yeah it's me, who else would call you?" He said, lowering his voice.

"It's good to hear you. I'm sorry that I haven't called. I'm fine, so don't worry. How's Tristan and Yoru?" Hana was really happy to hear his voice, almost to the point where she couldn't contain herself.

"They're fine; they miss you. Thanks for leaving me on pet duty by the way."

"I'm sorry; I was in a hurry and you were the only person I could trust. Zack, you are my only hope." Hana told him, using an old Starwars line in hopes of lessening his anger.

Several minutes ticked by as Zack thought about her apology. "I guess you're right. I'm just glad to hear…that you're ok…" He said finally, his voice softening. "So what world are you in now?"

"You know about…the different worlds?" Hana asked, growing perplexed as she began to walk in no particular direction. Kakashi followed behind her.

"Yeah, the woman, Yuko, filled me in. I said I wanted to help in any way I could and she said that if I knew what you were up against that I might be able to help by just supporting you from here. Listen, if there's anything you need, you just let me, ok?"

"Alright, Zack. I'll take note of that. Right now, I'm in a place called Konoha Village. You can look it up and I'm sure it'll come up."

"Konoha Village? Never heard of it, but I'll take your word for it." He said. "So…how are you…?"

"I'm good. The first time I came here I didn't know quite what to do, but I met some people who are helping me complete my mission." She cast a glance at Kakashi who just stared at her as he followed.

"That's good. Just a question…when will you be coming back…?"

"Dunno, why? Do you miss me?" Hana teased.

"Yes, very much." The seriousness of his response made her stop. She hadn't realized that he had been that worried about her. "I have no one to walk home from school with and no one to talk with at night out on the balcony. It's kinda lonely here without you."

"I'm sorry, Zack. I'll try and complete my missions as soon as possible." Hana hoped that her words might turn out to be true, but since she didn't know what lay ahead, she was unsure.

"Please do; Tristan misses you." Zack informed her and she smiled.

"I bet he does. I have to go…I'll try calling you tomorrow."

"…Ok…Seeya, Hana…" She could tell that he was hesitant to stop talking, but she had a mission to complete. Hana ended the call first, picturing Zack's face when he heard the silence on the other end. With a sign, she put the phone away and continued down the street.

"So what's a phone?" Kakashi reentered the conversation from earlier. "Some kind of new technology from your world?"

"Yeah. Well, a phone is like a headset, but in a smaller, more portable size. You can make calls to people. I'm just surprised that I have a connection hear." He gave her a blank stare. "Connection is the way that people can talk on phones. The connection comes from cell towers that send out waves and the phone picks them up; it's a signal basically." _Man, this is a bit difficult explaining this to people who don't know what cell phones are. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I'm glad I didn't try explaining texting to him because that might turn out to be a giant mess. I'm just surprised that I got service here. How is that possible? Does Fat Louie have something to do with this? _She looked down at the snoring cat, thinking long and hard.

"Weird…" He muttered. "So where are you going?"

"I need to buy some saké…for the woman who hired me. She asked for some."

"Saké, huh? Well, I'll show you a place that has some good brands." He directed her down another street where people moved about from store to store.

"Ok, thanks, Kakashi." She flashed him a smile.

* * *

Somewhere, hiding in the shadows, the other half of team 7 were watching Kakashi and Hana. They had been hiding in the bushes nearby when they'd been talking on the bench and had stealthily followed after them, intrigued.

"What are they doing?" Sakura asked as she poked her head around the corner. "Hey, Naruto! I asked what's going on!"

"They went into a store and have been in there for a while," the ninja in the bright orange jumpsuit replied, straining his neck to get a better look. Sasuke was wearing the look of someone forced to follow along. On the outside he looked uninterested, but his eyes kept moving back to the store where Hana and Kakashi had disappeared; a sure sign that he was interested.

"Why is Kakashi so interested in that traveler?" Sakura huffed. "Sure Kakashi's handsome in all, but why do girl's fall for him. Of course he could never be as good looking as you, Sasuke!" She turned to the apathetic teenager with hearts in her eyes. He just sighed and ignored her.

"Whatever. I don't see why we're fallowing them, or why you dragged me along for that matter." Sasuke muttered, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Oh quit complaining, Sasuke!" Naruto snapped at him. "We all know you're interested in that traveler too." Sasuke glared at him and turned away haughtily.

"Ssh! I think I see them coming out!" Sakura shushed them and they all peeked around the corner of the building. Sure enough, Hana and Kakashi stepped back out onto the street. In her hands was a brown paper bag filled with a bottle of sak'e that she'd send to Yuko as compensation.

"Hehe! Let's see where they go next."

"Great idea, Naruto." Sakura told him, her face glowing with excitement.

"What are you three doing?" Kakashi's voice behind them made them jump, freezing on the spot. They had been caught and were afraid to turn around. "Why is it that I always find you guys following me?"

_They're not very good at being stealthy. Ironic because ninjas are supposed to be stealthy. Come to think of it, all the episodes I've watched, these three were never that stealthy. _Hana thought, watching as they turned stiffly around to face their sensei.

"W-We weren't doing anything, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura stammered quickly.

"Y-Yeah! We were just walkin' around and happened to find you, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto seconded. Sasuke said nothing. It was apparent that Kakashi wasn't buying it.

"Riiight," he said, leaning back a bit in a casual stance. "Well, I have something to tell you three."

"Huh? What is it?" Naruto asked, titling his head to the side. "Is it a surprise?"

"I wouldn't go that far. It's more like a temporary thing. Starting today, Hana will be joining our team for training."

"It's a pleasure to be working with you." Hana smiled as she balanced the weight of the still sleeping Natori and the bottle of saké.

"Like I said, it's only temporary." Kakashi reminded them.

"Huh?" they exclaimed, completely caught off guard.

"I figured this much. Well Hana, looks like the shock's too great for these three to handle." Kakashi sighed, pulling out his _Make Out Paradise _book.

_That wasn't the reaction I was hoping to hear. _Hana thought to herself as Kakashi's words sunk into the three young ninja.

* * *

**I'm almost done with this world arc, but i don't know which anime i should use next for the new arc. Any suggestions? Comment if you have a good idea**


	9. World 2: My reason for training

**Well, it's been awhile since I've updated. You know how it goes, life has a habit of getting in the way of writing. Oh well, the point is that I've updated. As usual, I don't own Naruto or XXXholic. So please read, review, and enjoy.  
**

* * *

**World 2: My reason for training  
**

Team seven sat in the dapple-lit gale, watching their sensei train a total stranger. Hana and Kakashi had been doing the basic exercises for hours and now Hana was at tree climbing. This annoyed them because it had taken them months to get to the tree climbing stage while this girl was on it the first day. The sun began its decent, casting rays of dark amber light though the trees.

"Man, what is Kakashi think he's doin'? Training some stranger like this girl!" Naruto huffed, his arms crossed over his chest. They had been sitting and watching Kakashi train Hana all day. It drove him insane to have to sit and watch, but Sakura had forced him to stay. "I know she paid for dinner and everything, but I think this is going a bit far."

"You made her treat you to dinner?" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yeah, well she volunteered! But man, she is loaded!"

"Just who does this girl think she is? Thinking that she can waltz in here and talk sensei into training her. Now I really don't trust her," Sakura growled, glaring at Hana.

"Is Kakashi even allowed to train another person? I mean, we're his students so he should be teaching us!"

"Well, you know how irresponsible he is. He shows up late every time we go on a mission and leaves when we need him the most," Sakura complained, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Come on, Sasuke? What do you think?" Naruto asked him, trying to rally more support from his team. "Doesn't this just annoy you?"

Sasuke was sitting a ways from them, his arms crossed against his chest and his eyes closed. He opened his eyes for a moment as Hana had finished scaling the tree, lying in the top branch exhausted.

"I don't know. Kakashi seems to have no trouble with it so why should we?" he muttered. "It's not like she's going to become his student or anything. I think it's stupid that we had to sit here all day for this."

"Man! Look at her; she even finished the tree climbing exercise on the first go! That's unfair! That's cheating!" Naruto cried out in frustration. "There's no way that she can be better than me when she isn't even a ninja!"

"How is she cheating?" Sakura sighed, giving him a blank look.

"Trust me, it is!"

"Alright, I think that's enough for today," Kakashi told Hana as he shut his _Make out Paradise_, glancing up as a brown hawk flew overhead. "Rest up and we'll continue tomorrow."

"Ok…" Hana breathed and climbed down from the tree, her muscles crying out in pain. This had been the first time that she had worked so hard and it left her utterly exhausted.

"Finally, I thought it would never end," Natori sighed from the base of the tree. "Now I'm hungry. Hey, Hana, can we get some dumplings?"

"I don't know any places to eat, let alone a place that sells dumplings," Hana called as she tried to find a way down, but she was too tired to move.

"Well then find one!" Natori shouted at her, making her grow irritated.

"Why you!" Hana hissed, straining her neck to glare at him. "You ungrateful ball of fur! If you want it so badly go find it yourself-?" Suddenly, she lost her balance and tumbled out of the tree, landing heavily on her back. The blow knocked the wind from her, almost the same as it had been when she arrived in the world. _This…feels strangely familiar…! Man…it hurts!_

Hana lay on her back, unable to move as she gasped for air. Natori turned his head when he had heard her fall, but did nothing. He let out a yawn and surveyed her with boredom. Team seven had seen the whole thing happen and watched with shock.

"This is what happens when you get mad," Natori huffed, unfazed by Hana's tumble from the tree.

"She…just fell from a tree…" Naruto muttered.

"That look like it hurt…" Sasuke added.

"Do you think she's dead?" Sakura asked.

"I didn't think Kakashi would agree to train someone who'd be killed by falling from a tree," Sasuke pointed out. "Unless this person really is that weak."

"She didn't look that strong." Sakura gave Hana a distasteful look.

_I can…hear you guys…_Hana thought crying inwardly as she slowly picked herself up off the ground. Her body hurt, especially her back as she sat on the ground, brushing herself off. _That really hurt; even I'm surprised that I'm not severally injured. Don't tell me that I'm building up an immunity to this kind of thing? _Hana rubbed her sore neck and looked over at the surprised team seven. _I guess they don't trust me; that's understandable. Should I try and talk to them to lessen the tension? I thought the tension between Naruto and I was gone…but I'm not quite sure. Well…I guess I won't know until I try…_

"Hana! I'm hungry!" Natori complained as she got to her feet, swaying unsteadily.

"I know, I know!" Hana sighed and scooped him up. She turned and walked carefully over to team seven, as if she was afraid that she was going to startle them.

"You're not gonna try and become friends with them, are you?" Natori whispered to her. "Remember what Yuko said; we're only observers. We're not supposed to meddle in the affairs of other worlds. It's bad enough that you caved and told Kakashi about our mission."

"I know that, but we're not meddling, just getting info. I don't have to tell these three," Hana whispered back as she put on a friendly smile. "Hey, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke."

"What do _you _want?" Sakura snapped, crossing her arms across her chest. Everything about her gave off an unfriendly aura that wanted Hana to back off. Hana could feel the cold animosity; it was like confronting a savage dog.

_Man, she's pissy. You'd think that someone stole her boyfriend or something. How could I forget? She still has the hots for Sasuke and must be feeling possessive. This must be why she doesn't seem to get along with other girls. And as usual she is unaware of Naruto's feelings for her or the fact that Sasuke ignores her. Typical; nothing has changed. Now, how do I let her know that I come in peace and mean her no harm? _Hana thought as she racked her brain for something to say that would get them to trust her.

Back home, she had had a few friends that she talked to, but after her family died, they grew distant, as if they were avoiding her. In the end, the only people she talked to were Zack and a few people from her work, so her people skills were lacking.

"Well, I just wanted to know if you know of any good places to eat around here," Hana said, keeping a calm tone despite Sakura's rudeness. "I only know of Ichiraku Ramen, but my cat seems to want dumplings."

"You'd listen to your cat and go get dumplings. How stupid are you?" Sakura snapped, still glaring. "Why don' you go ask your new sensei, Kakashi?"

_Is this what this is about? They're mad because they think I'm stealing Kakashi? I need to tell that this is all a misunderstanding. _Hana stood there gazing at the three with her attempt of a friendly face. "You have it all wrong. I begged Kakashi to help me."

"Help you with what?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"To find a certain someone," Hana muttered. The three suddenly looked at her face and grew pale at the face she was making. They had never seen such a dark brooding look before on someone's face; even Sasuke's look he had when he told them all about how he had a person he had to kill looked like a smiling face.

"Wh-What someone?" Naruto stammered.

"What did they do?" Sakura squeaked. Even Sasuke got chills from Hana's look.

"Hey, I think you're scaring them," Natori told her and she snapped back to her regular self.

"Ah, sorry, it's nothing. So how about it? Do you guys know any good places to eat? I'll treat you all," Hana said, smiling.

The three ninja turned to each other, giving each other questioning looks. "Should we go with her?" Sakura asked.

"I don't see why not; she's treating us to lunch," Naruto's face grew longing at the mention of food. "Maybe she'll take up to Ichiraku again."

"Being treated to lunch doesn't sound like a bad idea. Kakashi hardly ever treats us to lunch…" Sakura mused. "What do you think, Sasuke?"

"It really doesn't matter to me," he sighed.

"Way to put in an opinion, Sasuke," Naruto mumbled.

"Alright then." Sakura stood to her feet, the other two following suit, and turned back to Lafayel. "Alright! We gladly accept your offer!"

* * *

"So what was it that you were talkin' about earlier?" Sakura asked as they all sat eating inside the ramen shop. The lights from inside the stand crept out into the dark night outside.

Hana sat on the end of the raised bar with Naruto on her left. The ever possessive Sakura had put a distance between Hana and Sasuke, making sure that they were never near each other. It annoyed Hana the way Sakura acted, but she just ignored it, knowing that no matter how annoying she was in this world or the world of the anime, there was nothing Hana could do to change the pink haired ninja's personality.

"What do you mean?" Hana said as she watched them eat. Beside her, Natori wolfed down his third bowl of ramen, broth collecting on his whiskers.

"You know…what was it that you were telling us earlier?" Sakura repeated, hesitantly for fear of Hana snapping.

"Ah, that…" Hana muttered, setting down the bowl in her hands on the counter. The members of team seven flinched and watched Hana fearfully as a tense silence settled over the ramen stand.

"N-Never mind!" Sakura stammered. "Y-You don't have to say anything."

"Y-Yeah! If it's something that personal, you don't have to tell us!" Naruto added in a squeaky voice.

"No, since you guys asked I might as well tell you. It'd be good to tell someone," Hana said, turning to them with a brilliant smile that scared them more than her glare of death. "Well, let's see…I should off by saying why I'm here. I'm here because I'm searching for something as part of the job I was assigned to do."

"What's this job of yours?" Naruto asked.

"I'm looking for things that…are causing abnormalities in places that shouldn't be experiencing things like that."

"Abnormalities?" they questioned.

"Yeah…like things that are causing problems when they shouldn't be causing problems. It's really complicated to explain," Hana explained.

"I don't understand any of it…" Naruto muttered as he shoved more noodles into his mouth.

_No surprise there; I could tell just by looking at your face that it went right over your head_, Hana thought. "I didn't expect you to. In any case, that is my job. It's what I must do in exchange for having a wish of mine granted."

"A wish granted? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, in exchange for something, I made a deal to do this job so that I could get away from a place…"

"Can you really do something like that?" Sakura questioned. "Why would you want to leave?"

"I'm running away from someone…and I'm looking for someone…or something…" Hana went on, her gaze faltering a bit.

"Looking for someone? Like who?" Sasuke asked, including himself in the conversation

"Who would you be running from?" Sakura inquired.

"So many questions…I'm running from a person who wishes to use me for their own gain. I'm searching…for the person who killed my family," Hana replied solemnly as she took a sip of tea. The tense silence turned heavy and cold, almost stifling.

"You're family…was killed…?" Sakura whispered as if she couldn't believe it. Hana saw Sasuke's eyes fall as Naruto and Sakura glanced over at him.

"Yes, everyone. They were killed; it'll be over a year since it happened," Hana went on, trying to not think too much on it. Though it had been a year since her family had passed away, Hana had forced herself to think little on it so that she could keep going. There had been a time for mourning and there would be another time for it, but not now.

"I-I'm sorry…for prying…" Sakura apologized, guilt crossing her face.

"Don't feel bad; it's nothing that you did. I have accepted the fact that they are dead. I've already shed my tears; all I can do is move forward with my life," Hana told them calmly, much to their surprise.

"Does that mean…you're having Kakashi train you…so that you can find the person who killed your family…and…" Naruto began to say.

"Exact revenge?" Hana finished. "Who knows? It was certainly a thought though…But I have no need to do something like that. Taking revenge for my dead family wouldn't do anything. It won't bring them back to life and it won't ease the pain. Vengeance for my own person gain would only make my family sad and I would be the one to pay for taking a life. Besides, the thing that killed my family wasn't human."

"Wasn't human…?" Sakura's forehead furrowed as she tried to make sense of what Hana was saying. "What do you mean?"

"Even I don't really know how to explain it. When I tried to tell people what I saw that day, everyone thought I was crazy. But I can tell you that the thing that killed my family looked like a human, but was defiantly not human."

"You mean…like a ghost?" Naruto stammered, his voice trembling in fear slightly.

"A ghost?" Hana repeated, thinking on it a bit. "I don't think it was like that. Let's just leave it at it wasn't human." She paused, taking a sip of tea. "Even if I did want to seek revenge by finding the thing that killed my family, it could be anywhere. I'll just be wasting my time looking for it because there are others like it; according to my employer."

"More? You mean there're more of these murdering ghost-type things?" Naruto muttered fearfully. "I don't want there to be more…"

"Oh be quiet!" Sakura hissed.

"Ghost-type things…That sounds like a fitting name since I don't know what they're called. According to my employer these things have to do with what my mission is. They will try and get in my way and stop me from getting the thing that I need to find."

"So that's why you wanted to get stronger?"

"Pretty much. I won't be able to defend myself if I don't know how to fight. Personally though, I have no interest in fighting; I just want to complete my assignment," Hana informed them.

"So you're just going to placidly go looking for your family's killer?" Sasuke questioned coldly, glaring at her. "That seems like the cowardly thing to do."

"Sasuke!" Sakura protested, but a glare from Sasuke silenced her.

"Are you just going to give up and let your family's killer go free?" His words made Hana stopped, the cup poised over the counter. It was like she had been frozen.

"What would be the point of trying to look for their killer?" Hana shot back.

"Are going to let a crime go without seeking justice?" he continued, his black eyes narrowed at her.

"Even if I did try and press for justice, what good would it do? Would it bring them back to life? Make me happier? Make the world a better place? No, it wouldn't do any of that," Hana said, turning her eyes on him. They were full of seriousness, cold and unyielding. "The thing that killed them could be anywhere in the world, or already dead. I would never know even if I went looking for it, if what I found was the exact one since there are more of them."

"Even if it wouldn't do anything…you're just gonna sit around and accept everything as it is? You're not even going to find out why your family was killed?" Sasuke asked angrily, matching her glare.

"True, I do want to find out the reason, but I'm not going to exhaust myself trying to figure it out. The fact is my family is dead. They were killed by something that wasn't human. That thing has to do with why I'm going around looking for things causing abnormalities. There are multiples of them. For what reason they are here, I don't know and I don't know if I'll ever know. When the time comes, I'll be able to find all the answers, but all I need to focus on is moving forward."

"That just sounds like you're running away," Sasuke said.

"I might be, but at least I'm not wallowing in the past," she replied and his face twitched. "Revenge is meaningless, I'm sure you've heard that and will continue to hear it. In the end it leaves people hollow and lacking, even if they think that they've achieved something. If you follow the path of revenge you'll end up doing things that you'll regret and ruin yourself and others around you. It's a useless path to follow." Hana turned back to her food as Sasuke's face twisted with anger. "Don't drag me down the same path that you intend to follow."

With that, Sasuke slammed his hand down on the counter, making the bowls move slightly and his teammates jump, before he stormed out of the stall. Naruto and Sakura watched him leave with open, shocked mouths. Hana disregarded him, knowing that she had made him mad.

"Geez, what was that all about?" Naruto huffed as he went back to eating. "Sasuke's acting moodier than usual."

"Shut it, Naruto!" Sakura shouted before turning to Hana. "You said something to Sasuke, didn't you?"

"You were sitting here with me and heard everything I was saying, didn't you?" Hana muttered.

"You shouldn't have said things like that. You don't know what Sasuke's gone though."

_Actually I do; I know a whole lot more than you do. He and I are alike because our families were killed; his by his brother and mine by something that doesn't belong here. _"I understand a bit of what it's like to lose your whole family." That made Sakura shut her mouth, unable to say anything. "As far as I can see, I've done nothing wrong besides stating my opinion. If he didn't like what he heard, that's too bad for him."

"Hana, I'm full," Natori moaned as he lay on his back, his stuffed belly protruding slightly in the air.

"Well that's surprising. You, full?" Hana's eyes took in the bowls of empty ramen bowls stacked high in front of him.

"Let's head back; I'm tired…" he muttered before he suddenly fell asleep.

"Good grief, what a troublesome cat," she sighed, fishing out the Universal Credit Card.

"I'm not…a cat…" Natori muttered in his sleep.

"Well it looks like this is where I'll be leaving," Hana said and stood out, putting the money down on the counter.

"Thank you for coming!" Mr. Ichiraku took the money and busied himself back in the kitchen.

"I hope you all had enough."

"Thanks for the food!" Naruto told her, grinning broadly.

"I guess I'm pretty full too. If I eat anymore I'll gain weight again," Sakura sighed. Hana scooped up the sleeping cat and made her way to leave. "So what do you plan to do after this?"

"Plan to do?" Hana muttered, looking up at the sky questioningly. "Well, I have to go around looking for this certain thing and hope I don't run into any trouble."

"So how are you going to find…this _thing_?" Sakura raised an eyebrow as they followed Hana down the street.

"Well, Fat Louie will help me," Hana responded, lifting up the comatose cat a bit.

"How? He looks unreliable," Sakura commented dryly.

"He is, but when we get near the thing we're looking for, he's supposed to let me know."

"So what do you do once you find this thing?"

"I have no idea; this is my first time doing thing." Hana smiled as she turned a corner.

"Huh? No way!" Sakura cried loudly, stopping suddenly.

"What's wrong? You're talking pretty loudly," Hana muttered innocently.

"How are you supposed to do a job if you don't know much about it?" Sakura protested.

"Everyone has to start somewhere, right?" Hana pointed out.

"You got that right! When we first started out, we had nothing but stupid jobs!" Naruto added loudly, messing around with his headband.

_I remember those episodes where your life was simple and before everything went out of control. It was definitely before shippuden and everything else, _Lafayel thought. "Really? That sounds interesting."

"There's something that's been bothering me thought," Sakura went on saying, "the way you were talking to Sasuke, it seemed like you already knew about what had happened with his family yet you have never been to this village. How is that?"

Hana stopped suddenly, knowing that she had slipped up. "His eyes…" she said, trying to think of something to say that would cover up her mistake.

"His eyes?" Sakura and Naruto inquired.

"His eyes looked the same as mine; the eyes of someone who had lost people they cared about." Hana's voice seemed hollow and low as she stared into the darkness of the alley she was stopped in front of.

"You could tell just by looking at his eyes? Whoa! That's amazing!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I'm not buying it…Too me it seemed like you knew a lot about him…" Sakura said, not entirely believing Hana's statement. It hadn't been a completely lie; just enough of one to throw people like Naruto off.

_Figures that Sakura wouldn't buy it. What do I do now? Is there something like this situation written in the book You gave me? I'll have to look when I get back to the room. _Hana's eyes shifted over to Sakura and Naruto quickly. "Well, you don't have to believe me, but it's the truth. People who have lost loved ones have a certain look in their eyes that those with similar circumstances can see."

"Really? Is it like a super power or something?" Naruto asked.

"_Super power"? You really are an idiot. _"Not really," Hana muttered and continued walking down the alley. "Listen, I need to get some rest; I'm beat. I'll talk to you guys later…"

"You'd better apologize to Sasuke!" Sakura informed her.

"Why does she have to apologize? I mean, Sasuke can handle things on his own. He's not a sissy, is he?" Naruto huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "He'll get over something like that."

"You take that back, Naruto!" Sakura snapped, turning on the blonde, spikey-haired ninja. He jumped back as Sakura switched into her super scary mode. "Now, as for you," she turned back to Hana, "I except you to apologize to him tomorrow anyway!"

Hana didn't respond as she stood facing the alley, the darkness shadowing her face. She seemed frozen in place, her body trembling slightly. Naruto and Sakura approached her cautiously, perplexed by her silence.

"Hana, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, staring at her face curiously. Hana wasn't listening; her eyes were staring off at something past him in the darkness.

"What're you staring at?" Sakura's eyes followed Hana's gaze and then she froze too, fear spreading across her face. "Wh-What is that…?"


End file.
